Chapter Text
"So how does this work again?" Skizz asks for what feels like the hundredth time.
Zedaph looks up excitedly, a vibrant smile on ver face. "Simple! Two eggs, two sperm. We fuse the eggs—"
"Bullshit." Tango calls from where he stands with his arms crossed, his tail swaying loosely as he smiles.
"At least let ver finish." Impulse giggles beside him.
"Thank you, Impulse." Zedaph says before clearing ver throat. "As I was saying: We fuse the eggs with the sperm to create two zygotes."
"Oh, I thought you were going to say you fused the eggs like Doc lied his ass off about." Tango scoffs.
"We can talk about his lack of professionalism later, Tango." Zedaph sighs. "Can I go on without being interrupted?"
Out of sheer habit from having two five year olds, all three of them zip their lips and go quiet.
"Wow, anyways." Skizz watches as ve straightens ver back, holding verself up a bit higher. "From there I put the two zygotes together in a scenario that allowed them to fuse."
"Wait, how?" Tango asked. "I thought that was impossible?"
"It isn't, just exceedingly rare." Zedaph says with a laugh. "Have you ever heard of something called genetic chimerism?"
"Yeah, like the split face cats?" Impulse says quietly.
"No, not those. They're just tortoiseshells or calicos with heterochromia." Zedaph sighs. "But if you're talking about the black cat with a grey patch, that's a chimera."
"My entire life is a lie." Impulse mutters.
"It is." Zedaph responds before going back to ver speech. "But what I've made is basically a genetic chimera that contains the code of four different players.
"From there, I insert it into Skizz's uterus through his urethra using a cystoscope and a bit of love and care." Zedaph says in a very cheerful way.
"… I don't think I know enough angel biology to question…" Tango mutters before looking at Zedaph dumbfounded. "But, wait, why aren't you going the other way? You know, the back end?"
"You mean the cloaca flap in the rectum?" Zedaph asks happily, earning a awkward nod from Tango. "Well, you see, it simply not as fun or enjoyable as sounding is."
"I guess you have a point." Tango shrugs.
"So, are you ready for the implantation?" Zedaph direct on vis attention onto Skizz.
Now Skizz isn't the type to blush or be shy, his confident in control when it comes to everything, but there's always something about the look in Zedaph's eyes when ve gets like this that causes pink to dance along his cheeks.
To be fair that might just be the hints of heat plaguing his mind, something triggered by some medicine that's quickly making his body want to give in and accept.
"I— I guess I am." Skizz strangles out.
"Now I need to ask you one last time: Are you sure about this? I could always try to use the test tube I already have set up."
"Dippledop wants another kid, Zed." Skizz sighs. "And if this experiment is a success, then we'll get exactly what we want."
Zedaph smiles fondly before folding all ver papers together. "Then we'll start tomorrow when you're heat properly begins."
Skizz wraps Zedaph in a hug when ve walk over, sliding the little sheep into his lap as he kisses ver fondly.
"Have I ever said how hot I think all your weirdness is?" Skizz asks with a smile.
"Almost every time you let me share your seasons, Skizz." Zedaph replies.
"Then I'll say it again: All your weird science shit is hot."
"Ew, get a room." Tango laughs as he nudges Skizz's shoulder.
Skizz shares another kiss with the sheep. Then another and another and—
— ❁ - ❁ - ❁ —
The four weeks pass by blearily, especially the unsurprising comfortable discomfort of his heat.
Being strapped down and injected with a brood of eggs certainly wasn't something he was surprised by, but it never stopped the weird feeling of it all.
But that's besides the point. That was roughly four weeks ago and Skizz was still playing the waiting game.
This was always the hardest part about trying to have a kid. Having to wait until he'd get a reliable positive test and then waiting some more to no longer be in the 'danger zone'. He hated it all, which is why he tried to distract himself.
The four of them are once again together on the couch, Impulse and Skizz sitting with Skizz's outstretched legs in Impulse's lap. Zedaph and Tango sit on the floor beside the couch, the former all too focused on something in ver hand and ignoring the world around ver.
"What if we made a coffee shop or a cafe?" Skizz asks one night to his partners, all cuddled up around the couch while their two kids slept peacefully.
"Why a coffee shop?" Tango asks with a laugh. "Is this some kid's fanfic?"
"Don't be mean to their writing." Skizz snaps playfully. "Besides, I just think it'd be cute. Gives some good reasons for me and Zeddlebop to bake."
Bdubs enters the room then, arms held over their head as they yawn. "You four are still awake?"
"Skizz couldn't sleep again." Impulse whisper-shouts. "He's anxious."
"Can you blame me? I may or may not be pregnant and it's driving me crazy!" Skizz huffs as he crosses his arms
"Well you better keep it down, I just got those two to sleep." Bdubs says before turning around.
"Wait, Bdubs!" Skizz calls out.
It earns him a rather annoyed Bdubs turning back, looking at him tiredly. "What."
"What do you feel about having a coffee shop or cafe here?"
"Like as a theme or an actual coffee shop? If it's the first, I've already done that." Bdubs says as they walk closer.
"No, no, the second option!" Skizz laughs. "What if— what if Impulse and you worked on making coffee while me, Top, and Zeddlebop bake?"
"We could also get Grian onboard if it's coffee or tea making." Impulse adds on.
"Wait, you're seriously thinking about doing this?" Tango laughs beside the couch.
"I mean why not? It sounds like a fun idea." Impulse laughs. "How do you feel about this, Zed?"
The sheep doesn't notice, continuing to type away as ve does whatever ve's doing.
"Zeddlebop?" Skizz echoes.
Still no response, simply clicking away before turning to writing then repeating typing.
"Zed's off in ver own head again." Tango shrugs. "Want me to break ver focus?"
Impulse and Skizz both nod down together.
Skizz watches as Tango hooks a finger under Zedaph's chin, forcing the sheep to look away from whatever ve's working on as ve hums contently.
"Too focused on your work again, buddy?" Tango asks gently.
"I was only doing math for Skizz!" Zedaph objects.
"Math for me?" Skizz asks with a chuckle. "What for?"
"To see how far in your pregnancy you are compared to other player-types. Primarily human player-types." Zedaph says easily. "Did you know that you're roughly 3.2 weeks pregnant? And when a human would be having their twenty week ultrasound, you'd be having it at twenty-five weeks?"
"Shit, really?" Skizz says curiously.
"Mhm!" Zedaph hums "Your pregnancy is roughly 0.8 weeks slower than a human's."
"Zedaph."
"Yeah?"
"Would you want to open a coffee shop with me and be a baker?" Skizz asks suddenly.
"I don't see why not." Zedaph shrugs.
"Zeddlebop." Skizz repeats again.
"Yes?"
"I love you and your brain."
"Why thank you so much, Skizz."
— ❁ - ❁ - ❁ —
Another month passes slowly, the five of them getting to work on the cafe as quickly as they can. The design all comes down to Tango and Bdubs, the two pestering each other playfully the whole way though.
It's nice to see them like this, to see the two being happy without any fights. It's taken so long for them to get here.
But he has other things to think about, other things to do, places to go and tests to take.
Everyone is huddled around the couch as they wait for those painful five minutes to pass. It takes so long, those minute stretching into hours—
The timer goes off, echoes in his skull as he hears nothing but held breaths.
He flips it over, looking from the box to the test and back again.
Two lines show so boldly that Skizz swears they're bleeding through.
"I'm pregnant again." Skizz laughs. "I knew it was gonna happen this time, but it still feels—"
"Weird?" Tango completes. "Yeah, pregnancy does that to you."
"Shut up, Top."