Author's Note: And now for a total change of speed!
Baby stuffffffff.
Rating: Uhh... I don't know. Nothing M rated. Maybe some smut/language. I don't know. I should make these ratings after the fact, but I always forget.
Aniyah turned the glossy chart to face her.
"Wow, Donnie. This is a really good diagram," she commented, eyes ticking over the internal organs layered against the paper. Donnie smiled proudly.
"Thanks, I had April laminate them for me." He turned, gathering the other charts and spreading them out. "I'm glad you brought up the idea to teach you more about our anatomy and physiology. You have the most medical knowledge of the humans. It only makes sense you should know about ours, as well." He shrugged, smoothing out the paper. "After all, I could be the one who gets hurt and you might have to save my life."
Aniyah nodded, giving him a small smile before she allowed him to jump into a full lecture on mutant turtle anatomy. Unfortunately, she found her attention wandering. Not because it wasn't interesting – it absolutely was – but because her thoughts kept drifting back to a particular mutant turtle. After twenty minutes of letting Donatello ramble, Aniyah let out a miserable sigh and pushed her face into both of her hands.
"Donnie, I am an asshole."
The turtle paused, eyebrow ridge raised. "Uh, I'm... sure that's not true?"
"No," Aniyah said firmly, dropping her hands to his lab table. "I am. I have roped Raphael into thinking he has to play this part in my completely unplanned, irresponsible pregnancy because he's my best friend in the world and I know, I know he would never just leave me when I need him. And I just – eugh!" Angry tears threatened to spill over. Freaking hormones, again.
You totally welcomed those hormones the other night, she reminded herself with a scowl. The memory of Raphael running his powerful hands over her, squeezing her muscles and teasing out the tired aches was almost enough to send another wave of arousal rushing over her at this very moment. She pushed them away, because (to her absolute mortification) Donatello had just gotten done explaining the turtles' sensitive sense of smell, which she had an inkling might have meant Raphael had been all too aware of her struggle. Had he been about to kiss her before her mother had called?
She was snapped out of her lustful thoughts by Donatello, who reached over and touched her arm with a gentle smile. "Aniyah, first of all – Raphael does not do things he doesn't want to do. It's just that simple."
Aniyah gave a small chuckle. "That's true..."
"And two," Donnie continued, removing his hand. "Raph cares about you. He wants to help you in whatever way he can." At this, Donnie paused and watched Aniyah's face, and she knew the local genius was checking her out for clues as to what else might be going on. But he didn't ask, instead, picking up one of his anatomy posters and rolling it up.
"Besides, realistically speaking, Raphael isn't really aware of the whole – I don't know, fear that some human males have of entering a relationship associated with offspring. It's not a social construct he's familiar with. So this is just the logical course of action for him." He put the poster away and came back to his seat, reaching out to Aniyah's hand again.
"Though, to his credit, I think he is fully aware of what a big impact this would have on you. As much as he can possibly know, anyway. And he still wants to be there," said Donnie. "But it's your baby. It's up to you exactly what happens."
At Aniyah's silence, Donnie offered her a knowing smile. "Of course, if this is about more than just the baby..." he raised both brow ridges and Aniyah lifted her eyes, reluctantly meeting his gaze, feeling uncharacteristically bashful. "Is it?"
Her first reaction was to say that she didn't know. But that was a lie.
Raphael sat on the fire escape, lost to thought.
That night with Aniyah pressed on his mind like nothing else. Usagi's visit had saved them from having to spend much time alone together, but the rabbit had left that morning. Before he'd done so, he'd found Raphael and given him a respectful bow.
"I thank you for your help," the samurai had told him. "But I would like to ask one last question."
Raphael leaned against the kitchen counter, a bit amused. "Yeah, what?"
Usagi paused. "Those pieces you spoke of – the ones you seek in each other and use to build yourselves – may those be found in others? New pieces, perhaps?" Raphael blinked, his head ticking to the side as he mulled over Usagi's words.
"I think so," he said after a long moment. "I mean, we're always growing and changin', right?"
"Yes," Usagi said, looking satisfied. "I believe so as well." He turned, glancing over his shoulder at the trio chatting just outside of the kitchen. It was Ame, April and Aniyah. Usagi crossed the kitchen and paused long enough to put a hand on Raphael's shoulder.
"What an exciting and beautiful moment that must be," said the rabbit with a smile. "Finding such a thing." And then he had gone.
Bzzzz. Raphael glanced down at his phone and sped off.
Aniyah sat on the couch, her fingers carefully closed against something in her lap. When Raphael came to the window, she beckoned him inside. They paused, not exchanging the normal casual greetings, the effortless comfort from before absent. Aniyah cursed inwardly. She would not lose that. She wouldn't, not when it was the thing that made every day better, even when Casey had still been around.
So she walked up to Raphael and slapped the television remote into his hand.
"March Madness time," she told him matter-of-factly. "Pizza or Chinese?"
To her relief, Raphael took only a moment to snap back into his usual mode – sarcastic and full of smack-talk. "Hope you're not makin' any more bets this year," he said easily. "Cause I'll be more than glad to send your pregnant ass to the store for a big bag of M&M's." Because chocolate candy just happened to be worth more than a million dollars to him and it always made for the best gambling.
He took the remote as they shared a grin. "And pizza. Why even ask?"
Aniyah laughed. "Why, indeed."
An hour and a half later, they finished their food (and the basketball game on tv),only to find themselves on the couch once more. This time, Aniyah gave him his space instead of draping all over him while he massaged her into a worthless ball of putty. Not that the idea wasn't appealing. Still, she had other plans for tonight.
Switching off the tv, she grabbed from her bag what she'd been holding earlier and turned to Raphael. He took it, turning over the envelope in his hands. After a glance at her, he pulled out the contents and peered curiously. Aniyah bit back a grin at his obvious confusion. "What is this?" he asked, bewildered.
"What does it look like?" she asked, grinning. Raphael tilted his head.
"No idea," he said, turning the picture. Aniyah let out a laugh and took the picture from him, facing it upright again.
"Raph, this is is an ultrasound picture. It's the baby, see?" she asked, scooting closer and pointing.
"Oh, shit! Really? Wow," he said, squinting. "Oh, wait... I see it, I think." He paused. "Looks kinda like a Kraang." Aniyah rolled her eyes and leaned closer enough to lay her head on his shoulder.
"See?" she traced the strange gray and black lines of the picture. "Here's the head... and there's a foot."
She watched as Raphael's expression shifted thoughtfully. He glanced up at the corner of the ultrasound and his face grew confused again. "Why's it got a circle and the word penis?" Aniyah grinned this time, and she could swear she saw the wheels turning in Raphael's head, ever so slowly before he turned to look at her, his eyes wide.
"Wait – It's a boy?"
Aniyah laughed, feeling outrageously excited as Raphael's entire face lit up in a way she'd never, ever seen before. She nodded quickly, her grin growing.
"It's a boy, really?" he exclaimed, looking back at the picture as if it could tell him more, give him the story of this little growing boy. She jumped over, wrapping her arms around Raphael's neck happily and the ease with which he returned the gesture warmed her from the tips of her toes to the nape of her neck. They both laughed, and when Aniyah pulled back their faces remained close. The laughter died, but Aniyah still smiled, even as Raphael looked more than a little afraid.
It wasn't the sort of blatant fear, like she'd seen in New York when people were mugged or nearly run down by a car. It was a different sort of terror, one outlined in uncertainty and made all the more potent by years and years of solitude.
She could dance around this, pretend like she wasn't in this potentially awful situation with a child she hadn't planned for and a burgeoning attraction to someone she already loved on so many levels. But that wasn't really her style.
"Raphael," she said calmly, quietly. "I really want to kiss you."
If she thought he'd look frightened before, it was nothing compared to now. She half-expected him to get up and leave, to dash out of the window and disappear. But he didn't. He remained where he was, his hands still loosely settled on her arms. Just when she thought she couldn't stand the silence anymore, Raphael spoke.
"Then what's stoppin' ya?"
Aniyah's lips slowly quirked and she reached up, curling one hand into his shoulder and tugging him gingerly forward until their mouths met. The contact jolted her, and at first his motions were so small, so timid that she felt the urge surge through her to pull him closer until he understood how real, her potent her desire for him was. And he must have gotten the message, because he wrapped one of his thick arms around her and deepened the kiss into a slow burn that made her absolutely ache.
The slant of their mouths shifted and now – now it was perfect.
And all at once, the uncertainty from before disappeared and their individual efforts became one, with Aniyah reaching a hand up behind his head and pressing as close as her belly would allow to his unyielding plastron. The arousal from before returned full-force and when his other hand found her thigh and gripped there for support, a moan escaped her. A thrill jumped up through her chest, making her heart pound and her limbs flood with heat.
Raphael pulled away just enough to breathe her name, and his husky tone had her pulling for him again, even her long fingers not able to wrap halfway around his bicep. But damned if she minded, because he didn't seem to be going anywhere.
Their tongues brushed and then slipped together, his wider and flatter than hers, and it was all she could do not to lose herself in the images of what that tongue could do, even as she felt Raphael squeeze her hip in sync with a low groan. Then his hand moved, traveling from the top of her shoulder all the way down her arm.
Their hands met, their fingers slipping together in an effortless fashion that found her own digits sectioned into three's so they fit perfectly with his. And for whatever reason, it was this motion that caused them both to slow the fevered kiss, to keep their faces close and to lock eyes. Their hands remained clasped at their side, undeniably different in appearance but identical in passion.
"I have thought about that a thousand times," murmured Aniyah in barely more than a whisper.
Something about Raphael's expression told her he wasn't sure if this was all real, but he still smirked – as always – and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Only a thousand?" he replied, and he dipped his head so that their cheeks brushed and their faces were hidden. "I lost count a long time ago."