Chapter 19: All That Glitters is not Gold

"Alright, are you ready for me to start the movie?" Doramen asked.

"Yep!" Doraemon replied.

A warm smile came to Doramen's face as he got the movie going. He set the remote down and forced his gaze to stay on the TV. Doraemon shifted his position beside him.

"I love this movie," he said, leaning his head on Doramen's shoulder.

Doramen glanced at his lover, smiling warmly.

"I do too," he replied, reaching over and wrapping his arm around Doraemon's shoulders.

The kittens were due any day now. Doramen was too afraid to leave Doraemon alone, so he'd been spending the last two days and nights at Doraemon's house. He'd been caring for Doraemon in every way he could, mainly doing all the chores and sometimes even cooking meals. He wanted his lover to be as relaxed as possible.

Now, it was nighttime, and the two had decided to watch a movie to help them unwind. With Doraemon's general uncomfortable symptoms, coupled with Doramen's anxiety about the birth of the kittens, neither of them had been getting much sleep lately. Doraemon had been the one who suggested a movie, and had purposely chosen one that was calm and romantic. Surely it would be enough to lull them to sleep, right?

For Doramen, that would quickly turn out to be correct. He curled up in his half of the bed and fell asleep not even halfway through the movie. Now Doraemon was awake on his own, continuing to sit through the movie. Although he was tired, he still felt uncomfortable, and he didn't want his excessive tossing and turning to disturb Doramen.

I just want to sleep, he thought.

A quiet sigh escaped him. He tried to just focus on the movie and hoped it would either relax or bore him enough until he would just pass out from being so tired. As he watched, he felt an uncomfortable twinge in his belly.

Why are you two still awake? he thought in annoyance, glancing down at himself.

The sensation in his belly continued for several seconds before finally fading away. He stretched his legs, halfheartedly hoping that would somehow help him relax.

I've never felt that before, he realized. I wonder what that was. The kittens have barely even been active today.

He suddenly began to feel nervous.

What if that was a contraction? he wondered.

His heart began to pound with anxiety. Now he was really struggling to get any sleep.

After getting diagnosed, he'd tried his best to learn about being a mother so he would be prepared. Unfortunately, robot cats were the only robots capable of any form of reproduction that didn't require assistance from a gadget, and a result, information about it was not as readily available as it was for humans. Doraemon and Doramen had struggled to find detailed guides on how to prepare for labor, take care of the kittens once they're born, and so on. Most information seemed to have humans as the target demographic, not the actual robot parents themselves. As a result, Doraemon was terribly uneducated. He didn't know anything about giving birth, other than what he'd seen on TV, which usually consisted of the mother pushing a few times, and that was the end of it. The baby was born in mere seconds. Doraemon knew it was exaggerated and simplified to some extent, but to what extent was what he didn't know.

Now he sat in his bed, terrified and paranoid that any second he was going to start bleeding or experience agonizing contractions. He glanced over at Doramen, wondering if he should wake up the red robot cat.

What if it was nothing? he wondered.

He quickly decided it wasn't worth it to bug Doramen just yet. There was no proof that Doraemon was in labor, right? The yellow robot cat tried to convince himself that he was just tired and that's all it was.

He brought the blanket up to his chin and resumed the movie. The anxiety about labor only exhausted him even more, and he finally fell asleep a few minutes later.

….

A few hours later, Doraemon jolted awake. He sat up and looked around, wondering what had woken him up. The TV was still on, endless looping on the menu of the movie once it had ended. It casted a dull glow across the entire room. Doraemon glanced at Doramen, and could immediately see that his lover was still asleep. It was both comforting and a little eerie to see Doramen lying so still, breathing quietly.

Doraemon noticed the TV remote sitting beside him, and gingerly picked it up, trying not to make any sound. Then, he turned off the TV, plunging the room into total darkness. The nightstand was on Doramen's side of the bed, so be extra careful not to wake him, Doraemon put the remote in his pocket.

He laid down, about to close his eyes, when he suddenly felt a horrible pain in his belly. Everything inside of him suddenly felt extremely tight, as if it was being squeezed. He gasped quietly and clutched his belly, shutting his eyes and gritting his teeth. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before in his life. For over a minute, he just laid there in terrible pain, unable to speak or do anything really.

Eventually, though, the pain subsided. Doraemon immediately began to panic, assuming the worst. He hesitantly reached down and felt the bedsheets. Sure enough, he felt a wet spot.

I'm bleeding, aren't I? he thought with extreme worry.

This time, he decided it was time to talk to Doramen. He rolled over and aggressively shook Doramen. The red robot cat jolted awake, mumbling in confusion. It was only then that Doraemon stopped and let Doramen wake up for a second. Doramen sat up and gave Doraemon a confused and annoyed look.

"Is something wrong, Doraemon?" he asked, his speech slurred from grogginess.

"Doramen, I felt a really bad pain in my belly, and I think I'm bleeding," Doraemon explained, letting his anxiety seep into his voice.

Doramen squinted, trying to process Doraemon's words. It took a few seconds before it finally clicked. He gasped in horror, his eyes widening.

"You felt a pain in your belly? Are you having contractions?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't know, but I think so," Doraemon answered.

His heart began to race. He was starting to get scared that the time had come. It was time for the kittens to be born.

"Then I think you're in labor," Doramen murmured.

"Let's go to the Robot Hospital. They can help me," Doraemon proposed, already preparing to get out of bed.

"No!"

Doramen grabbed Doraemon's arm to stop him. Doraemon looked at him in confusion.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not letting those quacks anywhere near you," Doramen growled, scowling.

Doraemon glared at him.

"Doramen, I need to see a doctor!" he exclaimed. "I don't want to give birth at home, as much as I hate going to the hospital."

"But what if it's a human doctor?" Doramen fretted. "They'll surely fail to treat you!"

"The human doctors are just as good as the robot doctors!"

"Humans just want to make money! They don't care about your health!"

"Yes they do! I've been treated by human doctors and they're just as good as robot doctors!"

"They're lying to you!"

Doraemon sighed in frustration. He gripped Doramen's wrist tightly and looked into his eyes with a nasty glare. He opened his mouth, about to argue back, when he was suddenly hit with another contraction. A louder gasp escaped him this time as he once again reached down and gripped his belly, forcing his arm out of Doramen's grasp.

"Doraemon!" Doramen exclaimed.

Doraemon didn't respond. He was in too much pain to say anything. All he could do was sit there and borderline hyperventilate. Doramen watched, unsure of what he should do. He had no idea how to help Doraemon get through the pain.

After another minute passed, the pain faded. Doraemon straightened and his breathing slowed. He immediately resumed his grip on Doramen's wrist and looked at him with a much sadder expression this time.

"Doramen, please, we need to go to the Robot Hospital right now," he pleaded. "If you won't go, I'll go without you."

Doramen hesitated for several seconds, before he finally nodded.

"Okay, we'll go," he relented.

He slid off of the bed and went around to Doraemon's side to help him to his feet. It was apparently that Doraemon was having trouble standing, and Doramen wondered how long it would be until Doraemon would be confined to a bed for the rest of the labor. He reached into Doraemon's pocket and pulled out his Anywhere Door.

"To the Robot Hospital…"

….

Doramen was starting to wonder if it was possible to have a heart attack from being too anxious. His heart felt like it was going to explode. He'd tried to calm down, but nothing worked. Too many worry-fueled thoughts were running through his mind.

He paused his rapid pacing to glance at Doraemon. The yellow robot cat was lying in a hospital bed, covered from the chest down in a thick blanket. He'd calmed down, but the contractions were still knocking the wind out of him every time.

"How are you doing?" Doramen asked, coming up beside the bed.

"It hurts," Doraemon murmured. "I just want to know if my kittens are okay. I hope the nurse comes soon."

"I'm sure she'll be here soon."

Doraemon simply nodded in response. Doramen decided to leave him be, and resumed his pacing. He was anxious about the nurse coming as well. She'd performed some small tests on Doraemon to check on his and the kittens' health. Now, they were waiting for her to give the results.

A few minutes passed when the door suddenly opened. A nurse came in and closed the door behind her. Doraemon and Doramen both immediately recognized her as the same nurse who had performed the tests. She went over to Doraemon, Doramen doing the same.

"Alright Doraemon, I have the results of the tests," she said.

"Is it good news?" Doraemon asked nervously.

The nurse hesitated, sighing.

"This is troublesome. The kittens aren't in the right positions at all, and at this point there isn't much we can do to try and reposition them. The contractions are very irregular, and they aren't moving the kittens down to where they need to be. Your body doesn't seem to know what it should be doing," she explained.

"What's gonna happen?" Doraemon asked, his ears flat.

"It looks like you're going to need a cesarean."

"Cesarean? Isn't that when you cut me open?"

"Yes. A surgeon will make an incision in your abdomen, and then your uterus, and remove the kittens."

Doraemon flattened his ears. It still bothered him knowing he had organs inside of him that shouldn't be there. Hearing that his body seemed to be confused on how to advance through labor wasn't too surprising to him. He was male, of course his body didn't know how to give birth! It shouldn't even be possible.

"That sounds scary," he murmured, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

"Don't worry, there are many robot cats who have gotten cesareans, and this procedure is very common in humans. I'm going to get you some medicine that will knock you out," the nurse said.

"Wait, what do you want me to do?" Doramen asked, looking down at Doraemon.

"It would be best if you stayed in the waiting room. Cesareans are complicated in robots, and there will not be any space for you in the operating room."

Doramen was disappointed that he couldn't be there for Doraemon, but he understood. The last thing he wanted to do was bother the surgeons.

"Alright," he muttered.

He leaned over the side of Doraemon's bed and kissed his lover on the cheek.

"I love you, take care," he murmured lovingly.

"I love you too," Doraemon replied, smiling warmly.

Doramen returned the smile before reluctantly leaving and going back out into the waiting room. He sat down and took a deep breath, his stomach already feeling twisted up from anxiety.

….

Doraemon perked up when he saw the door open. A nurse came in and approached him with a friendly smile.

"I see you've woken up. How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm kinda tired still, but I feel good," Doraemon replied.

He looked down at the blanket. A weight lifted off his shoulders seeing that the round bump was no longer there.

"Your surgery was a success. The doctors delivered two healthy kittens—one boy and one girl," the nurse explained.

"Wow, that's amazing! When do I get to see them?"

The nurse froze for a second, not sure how to respond.

"Umm… let me go check!" she said hurriedly, turning around and leaving before Doraemon could respond.

A few minutes passed before she returned with another nurse. Both of them were each carrying a bundled-up blanket in their arms. Doraemon perked up, knowing his kittens had arrived. Although he was still a little drowsy, he was eager to see them.

The nurse from before glanced at her companion before handing Doraemon her bundle.

"Here's the first kitten," she said.

Doraemon unraveled the blanket, his face lighting up when the kitten was revealed. The kitten was yellow, just like him. He scooped it up and stared at it in awe.

"That one is the boy," the nurse told him.

"He looks just like me! How adorable!" Doraemon cooed, nuzzling his kitten.

The kitten mewed softly, squirming a little in Doraemon's grasp. Like "real" kittens, his eyes and ears were closed. Doraemon kissed the kitten on the cheek before setting him down on the blanket. He looked up at the other nurse expectantly, waiting for his other kitten.

"H-here's your… second kitten," she mumbled, handing the bundle to him.

Doraemon eagerly unraveled the blanket, hoping this kitten would be red like Doramen. When the kitten was revealed, Doraemon's smile faded.

….

Doramen sighed loudly as he opened what felt like his 50th magazine. He was so bored he thought he was going to die. Much of his anxiety had ebbed away, but that hadn't stopped him from trying to figure out everything little thing that could possibly go wrong with Doraemon's surgery. The magazines were beginning to lose their ability to distract him from his restless thoughts.

"That's IMPOSSIBLE!"

He jumped seemingly ten feet in the air at Doraemon's sudden shriek. His anxiety immediately started running at 1,000%. He flung the magazine from his paws as he stood up so fast he almost knocked the chair over. Heart racing, he sprinted into the back area and made his way to Doraemon's room. Although normally he wasn't allowed to do such a thing, the doctors had granted him permission since he was the father.

"Doraemon!" he called as he got closer.

He almost slipped and fell trying to stop himself when he made it. He swung open the door, panting like he'd be running a marathon. There was Doraemon, crying in his bed with a kitten and a half-wrapped blanket in his lap.

Doramen stared at the yellow kitten, forgetting about his stress for a moment.

Wow, that must be one of the kittens… They look just like Doraemon..., he thought.

He opened his mouth, about to ask what was wrong, when he saw movement in the bundled blanket. A kitten wriggled half-way out the back of the bundle, facing Doramen.

Doramen stared at it, his eyes locked on the ball of fluff. His eyes widened. He immediately forgot about what he was going to say, for he was too distracted by the kitten. Surely, it was the other kitten that Doraemon had been carrying, and the other kitten that he was the father of.

...Well, that was what he had believed, anyways. Now? Not so much. In fact, not at all. How could he?

He stayed silent, not entirely sure how to approach the situation. But he knew he had to do it. He had to say something about it. He couldn't just ignore it and pretend it wasn't there.

"Doraemon…," he began quietly, looking at Doraemon.

Doraemon jerked his gaze up to Doramen, his eyes wide. Tears continued to streak down his cheeks.

"D-Doramen..!" he exclaimed.

Doramen glanced back down at the kitten, his expression turning confused and sad.

"Doraemon, what's the meaning of this?" he asked, resuming eye contact with his lover.

"Doramen, I…. I'm just as confused as you are!" Doraemon insisted.

"There's only one explanation for this, and you know it…"

Doraemon didn't respond, only making Doramen sadder.

"You know very well that you and I can't make a purple kitten together. It's impossible," Doramen continued.

"You're right, it doesn't make sense," Doraemon mumbled, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Am I not good enough for you..? You really had to go with someone else behind my back, even when this was an accident..?"

Doramen began to tear up as he stared at Doraemon expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I didn't go with anyone else!" Doraemon protested. "It was only you!"

"Stop lying to me," Doramen mumbled, flattening his ears.

"I'm not! That's the truth! I would never do something behind your back!"

"Then where did the purple kitten come from?"

"I… I don't know…"

Doramen began to cry.

"You could've just told me the truth," he murmured.

"I have told you the truth! The truth is that you're the father of these kittens!" Doraemon argued.

Doramen just shook his head.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you what you wanted," he said.

"Doramen, please! I love you, and you know that!" Doraemon cried.

Doramen didn't respond. He turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring Doraemon's protests. He needed time to let it sink in.

….

Doramen tried to let the sound of trickling water calm him down. He blankly watched water pour out of the fountain in front of him. The Robot Hospital had an outdoor courtyard-esque area that turned out to be a perfect place for Doramen to be alone with his thoughts. His tears had stopped, but the sad, negative thoughts were storming inside his mind like a hurricane.

He couldn't believe that the kittens weren't his. All that time, all those months, he was fooled. He believed he was going to be a father, but in reality, he wasn't a father at all. Some other cat out there was a father.

Of all the thoughts going through his mind, one thing kept coming back to him over and over again. He wasn't good enough for Doraemon. Clearly he did something wrong that made Doraemon believe he wasn't worthy of fathering his kittens. He messed up. He was a failure. He didn't give Doraemon enough love, affection, or whatever else the yellow robot cat desired. As a result, he didn't deserve to be a father. He didn't deserve to have a family to love and care for. He deserved nothing.

That concept shook him to his core. It was far from the first time the thought had come to his mind, but it was the first time he had evidence to back it up. Now he really knew that he wasn't good enough. He was inferior. Doraemon was above him, and Doramen couldn't rise up enough to meet him on the same level. That, Doramen thought, must be the reason why Doraemon had decided to prevent him from being a father.

What did I do to make you think I wasn't good enough…? he thought.

"Doramen?" a familiar voice asked quietly.

Doramen turned his head to see Dorami standing at the edge of the grass. She looked at him with confusion and concern.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, approaching him.

"Thinking," Doramen answered.

Dorami approached him and sat down on a bench beside the one Doramen was sitting on.

"Doraemon called me and told me what happened. I… really don't know what to say. I'm sorry," she murmured.

"He lied to me," Doramen murmured.

"I don't understand why Big Brother would do this to you…"

"The answer is simple. It's because I'm not good enough."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is. I'm not good enough. That's why Doraemon decided to have his kittens be fathered by someone else."

Dorami averted her gaze.

"I was expecting you to be much angrier than this," she mumbled. "I'm glad you two didn't get into a nasty fight."

"There's nothing to be angry about," Doramen answered nonchalantly.

"He cheated on you. That doesn't make you angry?"

"He didn't cheat on me. He just demoted me by not letting me father his kittens."

Dorami gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Doraemon proved that I am insignificant by having his kittens belong to another cat," Doramen answered. "I just wish he told me the truth. He fooled me into thinking those kittens were mine."

"If he told you that he cheated on you, you wouldn't be upset?"

"No. If he told me the truth, he would be telling me, 'You're not good enough for me. Do better.' Then I will know to do better. But he didn't do that."

"Doramen… that's not how cheating works."

Doramen glared at her in annoyance.

"Doraemon had sex with another cat. That's not cheating on me, that's communicating that I'm not doing good enough," he growled.

"Doramen... He gave his love to someone else—that's cheating," Dorami argued.

"Sex isn't love. You don't have sex because you love someone, you have sex because you need to relieve stress, or you want kittens."

Dorami's eyes widened.

"That's not true at all!" she exclaimed.

"Yes it is. Haven't you heard of humans doing that? They call it 'one-night-stands'," Doramen said.

"Yes, single people do that. When you get into a relationship, doing that is cheating!"

"That's not love. One-night-stands aren't love. Those two people don't love each other, they just want to relieve stress."

"If you need that in a relationship, that's what your partner is for! You share and love the moment in harmony. You don't just bounce around and get in touch with other people. That's wrong!"

"Doraemon and I did share and love the moment, and look where it got me! You have to prove yourself to be worthy of having offspring. You wouldn't understand because you're female. Clearly I'm not a worthy father, otherwise why would Doraemon run off with another cat? It's not because he loves another cat. It's because he wanted to have kittens with another cat— a better cat."

Dorami just stared at him in stunned silence. She could barely believe what she was hearing.

"Doramen, do you even know how society works?" she asked quietly.

Doramen tensed up. He stared at her very aggressively, which made Dorami a little uneasy.

"Of course I know how society works," he murmured, his voice shaking.

"You're not making any sense. You sound like you know nothing about love," Dorami muttered.

Doramen's fur fluffed up a little. His eyes widened as he suddenly began to breathe heavily, all while glaring daggers at Dorami.

"I know everything there is to know about society. You're the one who doesn't know anything," he snarled.

Dorami didn't respond, feeling a bit concerned.

"And I know everything about love. I'm the one in a relationship, not you. So kindly shut the fuck up and stay out of this matter," Doramen continued, his tone only sounding more and more angry.

He rose from his seat and walked away, not giving Dorami a chance to respond. Dorami watched him go, utterly shocked. She struggled to even process what had just happened.

He really just said that to me… Did I offend him that badly..? I sure didn't mean it… I hope he didn't talk like that to Big Brother! ...But… I also hope he's going to be okay…. I doubt their relationship will be the same after this, if it'll even still exist...