"What exactly are ya eating?" Raph asked, looking sick. Mikey looked up from his bowl, filled with some fruit that resembled strawberries and... "Are those sardines?!"
Mikey nodded and took another spoonful, laughing when Raph looked ready to puke right then and there.
"I wish I had some olives too but I don't think they exist here..."
"No wonder yer puking yer guts out twice a day." Despite disliking the smell of Mikey's food, Raph scooted close to him on the couch, putting an arm around his shoulders.
"That has nothing to do with it." Mikey finished his last bite and put the bowl on the coffee table, before snuggling into his big brother. "Sides, the morning sickness got better. The babies want what the babies want."
Raph grinned and pulled him closer, nuzzling his beak and placing a hand on Mike's slightly swollen belly. Three and a half months, and finally it was showing. Even if it was just a little.
However, seeing it made it even more real, and Raphael couldn't be happier. Mikey blushed at the gesture and giggled when Raph placed a kiss on his head.
"I can't wait till they're here..." the hothead sighed with a grin and gently rubbed the bump. At Mike's last visit they found out he was carrying three eggs, and they were growing just fine.
"I don't know, I'm quite enjoying all the pampering." Mikey chuckled and nuzzled his face into Raph's shoulder. "Though I could do without you guys' over-protectiveness."
"We just want you and the babies to be safe."
"We are safe. It's not like the Shredder or Karai are lurking around every corner here..."
"Ya know what I mean. I get it, Leo is quite over-doing it, but better be safe than sorry."
"Says the oh so impulsive hothead." Mikey rolled his eyes before closing them.
"Tch. Yer not getting to me, baby. And now stop trying to evade your nap. Y'know how Leo gets."
"I'm not evading the nap. I was hungry."
"Yeah sure. And now yer full and can sleep." The nunchuck-wielder sighed and looked up into Raph's eyes.
"Will you stay with me?" Raph smiled and laid back down, pulling Mikey on top of him and then draped the blanket from the back of the couch over both of them. Mikey chuckled and snuggled close, closing his eyes with a yawn. He was a little tired, but he hated sleeping alone. That's why he loved those days when one or all of his brothers was home and would cuddle up with him.
Today Don and Leo went grocery shopping, and the big mother hen forbade Mikey to come along. He needed his nap, after all.
Michelangelo heard the TV being turned on low volume and Raph gently rub his belly again. The hothead thought Mikey was already asleep, when he suddenly heard giggling.
"You're s'posed ta sleep..."
"Sorry," Mikey chuckled, "I just imagined one of the babies being like Leo before we got together. All brooding and mature." Raph laughed.
"God please no. Not two of them."
"Who knows, maybe he or she likes meditation too. Leo would be so happy to have someone to do that with him."
"Oh, or a little nerd like Donnie. Imagine the both of them in his lab, taking over the world behind our backs." Mikey and Raph laughed out loud at the imagination.
"A little you would be funny."
"Me? Why?" Mikey grinned.
"I can imagine him or her throwing a tantrum, and you do the same, both of you stomping the ground and shouting." Raph pinched Mikey's shoulder playfully, but couldn't help a chuckle.
"At least it's not hard imagining a baby you. You are a baby you."
"Hardy har, Raph." Mikey burst out laughing when Raph started tickling him.
xxxxx
"So..."
Raph, Leo and Mikey looked up from their respective positions on the couch when Donnie spoke up, sitting down on the coffee table. He's spent the whole morning and afternoon in his lab, and they were becoming worried.
Though, Donatello didn't seem somber or depressed or angry. He seemed rather excited. It was a great sight after the past weeks of stress.
"... I've been doing some research. On our mutation."
"I thought you already did that back at home." Leo asked, a small frown on his face.
"Uh yes. But here there's way more equipment. Better equipment." Donnie waved him off.
Raph muted the tv in favor of giving Don his full attention and sat up straighter at the genius' enthusiasm.
"Well, what did ya find out?"
"Okay, I've been wondering for a while, since we all came in Mikey during our heat cycle... whose sperm got him pregnant?" Donatello opened his speech, catching each of his mate's gazes.
"You mean... who's the father?" Mikey asked, resting a hand on his swollen belly. Donnie nodded while Raph frowned.
"Does it really matter? We're all the dads..." Don's grin didn't actually make him feel better.
"I was curious. Anyways, a paternity test is only possible after they're hatched. So I was experimenting a little with our ejaculate, and-"
"Wait a fucking sec." Raph interrupted, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Ya experimented with our cum?"
And okay, Don seemed a little sheepish at that, mumbling some weak explanation that neither of his mates heard.
"What did you find out?" Leo shook his head. They were used to Donnie's strange whims. Whenever he set his mind on something he got a little excessive until his curiosity was fed.
Glad that he didn't have to explain himself more the genius grinned.
"I took a sample after our last night and put it under the microscope. And did you know that our sperm has mutagen in it?"
All of his brothers watched him with blank expressions. How would they know? And what did it matter? So Donnie continued, growing more excited as he talked about his experiment.
"It's a very tiny amount. Not enough to actually do anything. Anyways, I put each of our samples together to see whose would survive the longest and whose was the 'strongest', if you will."
Leo nodded in understanding, trying to forget the fact that they were talking about their sperm.
"I bet mine, right? I mean, with the alpha turtle thing it's a given." Mikey chuckled at the deadpan look Leo sent their hothead brother. However, Don's grin only grew wider.
"No, Raph. The thing is, none of it was the strongest. They just merged together, becoming one."
"What?!"
"The similar structure along with the minimal amount of mutagen pulled it together. I examined it, the DNA in each stuck together. Unfortunately it didn't survive long enough to do more research, but the fact that this happens when it's mixed..." Donnie licked his lips, unable to stop grinning.
Mikey and Raph exchanged glances, not quite getting it, while Leo leaned forward now, perking up.
"All of our cum was mixed together in Mikey. That means..." Donnie nodded enthusiastically at Leo.
"That means we all are the biological fathers."
"Wait what?"
Donnie shook his head with a sigh, but a gentle smile on his face as he knelt on the ground in front of Mikey now and resting a hand on the baby bump.
"All of Raph's, Leo's and my cum, our DNA, mixed together. That means the children you're carrying are gonna be a mixture of all of us."
Mikey's eyes were wide and rapidly filling with happy tears.
"You mean, we're gonna be a real family? All together?" Donnie chuckled as Raph snorted.
"We already are a real family." The hothead rolled his eyes, but his smile was genuine.
"But yes, that's what it means, sweetheart. Each of them could carry any of our traits."
xxxxx
"Leo?"
Leonardo looked up from the book he was reading at the kitchen table. He was about to scold Mikey, since he was supposed to take his nap now. However, his baby brother was leaning against the door frame, hand rubbing his belly with a slightly pained expression.
In an instant Leo was next to him, leading him to the table so he could sit down.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know... it's like a bad cramp." Leo rubbed the bulge carefully, anxiously watching Mikey's expression.
"Could it be it's gas? Telon said that could happen." Mikey shook his head and took a few deep breaths.
"No... it feels different..."
"Okay... okay... okay..." Leo's eyes were wide as he tried to figure out what to do. All his usual control and calmness was washed away. He had no idea how to help Mikey, the fear of something being wrong with their babies had a tight grip on him. Donnie was with Mike's doctor at the moment, so he couldn't ask him.
"Come on, we're seeing Telon." he finally decided, helping Mikey to a standing position.
"Ngh... okay."
Leo took calming breaths himself as he helped Mikey walk. He was four months along now. All the time the leader made sure that Mike took it easy and avoided everything that could harm him or the babies. He couldn't think of anything being wrong.
"What's wrong?"
Raph's worried voice made them stop. The hothead had been busy with their afternoon class, tidying up after them when he spotted his mates.
"Mikey's stomach hurts." Raph frowned at the anxious expression on his fearless leader's face. "I... we need to get him to Telon."
"Ya look like yer about to have a breakdown. Sit." Raphael pushed Leo on one of the mats still lying around and quickly pulled another one closer to help Mikey lay down on it.
"But-" Leo protested, his brain finally catching up.
"Just call Donnie to ask Telon. Maybe he can come over instead. It's faster than dragging Mikey through half the town in his current state."
Leo felt like a helpless idiot. How could he lose his rational mind when his brother needed him?
While Leo talked to Donnie on the phone, Raph coaxed Mikey into drinking some water, using his towel to wipe the sweat from his body.
"... I kinda feel better now..." Michelangelo admitted, still rubbing his belly.
"How much did you drink today?" Leo asked, Telon waiting on the other line.
"Uh... the tea in the morning and half of the water bottle at lunch." The blue-banded turtle repeated that and pressed his lips tightly together as he listened. He let out a relieved sigh after a while and thanked the doctor before ending the call.
"He says it's probably dehydration... but he's coming home with Donnie in about an hour. Just to make sure."
Raph nodded, shoulders slumping in relief as he opened another bottle of water and handing it to Mikey.
"I don't get it..." Leo sighed again after watching the pregnant ninja drink for a while.
"Well, it was pretty hot the whole week..." The emerald turtle sighed, arms crossed in front of his plastron.
"That's not what I meant. Back at home, no matter the situation, I was always in control. I had several plans for every possible outcome. And now I almost freaked out because of this..."
"Almost?" Mikey chuckled along with Raph, but Leo's pout made them muffle it. Raphael laughed and leaned over Mikey to press a kiss to Leo's forehead.
"You've been on edge every single day back home. Your spare time consisted of planning and training." Raph explained. "And ever since we settled down here you got more relaxed."
"And that's good. I like you when you're relaxed. Way more patient and funny." Mikey scooted closer to hug Leo around his waist, head coming to rest on his thigh.
"But you can't be without any worry at all, so you freak out over things like these. Cause your weird brain doesn't have a plan for such a scenario."
Mikey nodded in agreement, nuzzling the muscular thigh.
"... Have you been talking about this behind my back?" Leo asked, though he felt a little better already about losing his cool.
"We've been placing bets when you'd freak out." Raph chuckled while Mikey shook his head.
"Don's gonna be so happy that he won..."