In this world, when a man hears the words 'You're going to be a father.' They can't help but cry tears of joy and embrace the one they love from the pure excitement of being called 'Daddy.' The thing is though, after the excitement dies down and all the tears are swept away. That's when such men begin to feel another feeling known as fear. Fear of the unknown and fear of what the world will bring their child. Their thoughts become heavy with things such as 'Will my child be born healthy?', 'Will I be able to protect them from all the opinions and thoughts of that want to cause them harm?', or the biggest one of all 'How will my child be treated cause of what they look like and who they are?' That one. That one my friends is such a question that has been buzzing around in the dragon warriors mind for the past few weeks since his dearest Tigress told them they were going to have a cub together. In a way, it got so bad it made him lose sleep and even have nightmares of a cub that looked like him and his wife being bullied non stop with tears always running down their cheeks and them always screaming 'I wish I had never been born!' How can't such nightmares keep him awake? Which is where our story unfortunately takes place, for another night dawned on the panda and with every other night since the announcement he woke up in a cold sweat. Breathing deeply and holding his head with his left paw from the pain of his nightmare.
"Ugh, a-another nightmare." The panda stated softly, sitting up in his and Tigresses bed who was sound asleep next to him. Not knowing her husband had been going through such pain, mainly due to him making sure she wouldn't notice. He knew though however if it kept coming and in even worse waves, she would eventually find out. That's why as he calmed his breathing, he looked over at her with a sad look like he had done before many times.
"T-Tigress." Po whispered, placing his left paw on the spot of the blanket that was covering her stomach. He then began to gently caress her stomach, trying to gain some calmness from her breathing and the miracle that was growing inside of her.
"I'm glad one of us can get some peaceful sleep with the news, I just don't know why I can't? Well, actually I do." Po stated with a sigh, slowly removing the blanket that was covering him. After he did, he gently got off the bed and began to slowly head to the door which revealed him to be wearing some white shorts. When he got to the door, he opened it up.
"Maybe some food will help." Po told himself before leaving the room, and shutting the door behind him. Once he did, he began to make his way to the kitchen. When he arrived, Po pulled out some day old dumplings from the fridge and sat down at the table. He Then picked up one of the dumplings with his right paw and just as he was about to stick it in his mouth, he put it back down in the bowl.
"What I'm I doing? Of course food won't help!" He said angrily, pushing the bowl of dumplings away.
"I just, I just want the nightmares to stop. I just want this fear to go away and let me be happy about our baby. Is that so much to ask for?" He asked himself, his voice beginning to choke while he closed his eyes.
"L-let me be happy." His paws now clenched tightly, while he gritted his teeth. Water now began to flow from the pandas eyes, while his heart pounded in agony from the worry that just wouldn't go away.
Thirty minutes later
"Mmmm, of course you can help daddy cook sweetheart." Tigress said in her sleep, moving her body so she was laying her right side. When she began to lay like this, she reached her left paw out and expected for it to land on her pandas belly. When it didn't though, she began to move her paw back and forth. Trying to feel for that fur of his, but when she didn't, she slowly awakened from her slumber.
"Hmmmmmm? P-Po?" She whispered, beginning to blink her eyes so the blurry vision that was present would disappear. After it did, Tigress slowly sat up and began to look around the room for her panda.
"It's the middle of the night, where could he be?" Tigress asked herself. A little worried about her husbands whereabouts, until she remembered how her husband was during certain nights.
"Probably getting a snack I bet. If that's the case, we better go make sure daddy isn't stuffing his face to much Hu?" Tigress stated with a chuckle. Looking down at her belly before she stretched out her arms above her and let out a big yawn. She then brought her arms back down and removed the blanket that was keeping her warm which revealed her to be wearing an orange robe.
"Although a snack doesn't sound to bad right about now actually." Tigress said to herself, hoping out of bed and landing smoothly on the wood floor. She then proceeded to the door and opened it up, taking her leave as soon as she did. Once she came into the hallway, she closed the door behind he and began to make her way to the kitchen, hoping but feeling she would find her mate there.
Nine minutes later
"I thought so." Tigress smiled, seeing light coming from the kitchen. She then preceded to walk closer to the kitchen but as she got closer her smile began to fade away. For her ears did not pick up the sounds of food being chewed or gulped down, but rather the sounds of distress and sobs. Making her begin to walk fast until she came to the door where she saw her panda crying.
"Po!" She said just below a yell. Which made the panda open his closed eyes and look up to his wife.
"T-Tigress, what are you doing up?" Po asked, quickly wiping away the water that was staining his fur. The tiger then walked quickly over to Po and sat next to him.
"Never mind that Po, what's wrong? Why are you crying and why do you look like you're in so much pain?" Tigress asked with worry, not waisting a minute in taking her lovers paws with hers and squeezing them to try and calm the panda down.
"N-nothing, I'm fine." Po lied, turning his eyes away from the felines while at the same time trying to calm himself to make his story better. Of course, it didn't work though for how could it for she just walked in on him and saw it all.
"Stop Po, don't give me the 'I'm fine'. I can clearly see you in pain and I want to know right now what's bothering you. I'm not trying to be mean, but we promised each other on that day to tell each other everything. So are you going to tell me or I'm going to have to get it out of you?" Tigress stated in a serious tone, making Po look back at her to see she was not playing around. He was either going to tell her now or she would force it out of him. So seeing that he could no longer hold this secret of his he wish he could've kept for longer. Po gave a sigh and took a deep breath, ready to finally tell her.
"Ok Tigress, I'll tell you. After all, I don't want you to see me as a liar. You see, ever since you told me I was going to be a father, I have had nightmares. Nightmares about the same thing, which is about a cub that is ours." Po started, taking in a deep breath before he continued on.
"In everyone of them, our cub is hurt both emotionally and psychically. Hurt by people that are both kids and adults. So much so he or she screams out in agony, always yelling in a voice that makes my heart break in two and sends chills down my spine." The pandas paws now squeezing the felines tightly, while his jade green eyes began to become glossed with more water. Seeing the way her panda had become from what he was telling her, Tigress knew whatever he was going to say next would also hurt her. So, after taking a gulp, she asked him.
"W-what do they yell out Po?" Her heart now beating in a pace that only a fearful mother would have.
"They yell out 'I wish I had never been born'. A sentence I know everyone says at some point but it's just the way they said it they really meant it. That's what's been keeping me up these nights and what's plagued my dreams. I'm scared for our child Tigress, I'm scared of what people are going to say about them." Po turned his eyes from the tiger and began to look down at the table. Removing his left paw from her right, placing it over his mouth.
"Well that's why we are here Po, to protect her. That's what a loving father and mother do right?" Tigress asked.
"Of course, but how can we protect her from people who are gonna judge her just because of how she looks. I mean, just look at us Ti, we had it hard just because of who we were. Our child will be both a panda and tiger, they'll be the first of their kind. I don't want our child to have face such pain cause some people can't understand. I want them to see our child for who they are, not what they look like." Po told Tigress, shaking his head in distress. Upon seeing this, Tigress got up from her seat and stood next to Po. To which she placed her right paw on the pandas head and laid Pos head against her stomach.
"No one said this was going to be easy Po. It never is when it comes to parenthood from what I understand. It's true, they may have a hard time in the beginning or throughout their life. Something I hate saying so much, cause I to want our child to be judged by their heart and not their looks. We both know though that not everyone will, and when those times hit our family we will stay strong and wipe away every tear our child will cry, and replace those tears with hugs and love. Just like our family has done for us. Like you and I have done for each other all this time." Tigress stated soothingly, rubbing the pandas head gently who began to show a small smile from his wife's encouraging words she always seemed to have for him.
"You're right Tigress, all we can do is try our best to keep our child safe and always make sure to let them know they are loved by mom and dad. To make sure they know, at least seven people in the world love them for all that they are." He then titled his head so he could look his wife in the eyes.
"I'm sorry for worrying you like I did, just worried is all for our baby."
"I know my panda, and there's nothing wrong with that all. It just already shows how much you love and care for them. Just like a loving father would." She stated lovingly.
"Thanks Tigress. Thanks for the comfort, for the words, and for allowing me to be a father." Po told Tigress happily, who nodded her head.
"You're welcome Po, and thank you for letting me become a mother." She then took the pandas left paw with her right paw and placed them both on her stomach.
"Did you hear that little one? No matter what people say, you will always have people who will love you for you. That you just listen to your heart and stay true to yourself. We love you and can't wait to see you with our own eyes and for you to look at us with your own. Till then though, we will be counting... the days." Po happily stated, standing up from his chair and embracing his love. For he now felt the burden of fear disappear which allowed to dream of peaceful dreams which sufficed greatly until the day he and Ti officially became... 'Mommy' and 'Daddy'. The day that officially started some hardships but also an undying love that would always last thanks to the love in the pounding hearts of loving parents.
Hope you guys liked it.