In The Light
Clark Kent x Reader
Giving birth to Clark's baby was one of the happiest moments of your life. Sometimes even you and Clark forget that your baby isn't all human. 2.5k words⟡brief pregnancy⟡fluff⟡husband Clark⟡no use of y/n⟡having a kryptonian baby is hard
Pt 2 to Everything That is Important but can be read independently
The last two months of your pregnancy had been mostly uneventful, much to Clark's relief. You sat at home, sunbathed for at least an hour a day, ate balanced meals Clark made you, and watched so much TV that it became boring.
Of course, the peace of your final months did not do much to quell Clark’s worry. He was a predictable man. You could make even the slightest groan, and in an instant he would be by your side, cradling the sides of your face and imploring you to tell him what was wrong.
He was hovering over you every minute he was home. Testing your patience to a degree never before seen in your marriage.
You swear his heart would give out on him one day.
These days, having to act as Superman brought him little joy. In fact, he dreaded it. Not because he disliked the job, no! He loved it! It was simply the fact that he didn’t know when he would be home.
Minutes? Hours? God forbid a whole day! He never knew when or where he would be needed. Leaving you for the daily planet was hard enough already, but he knew when he would get off work and when he would be home to you.
You tried not to be clingy, to insist that it was fine. That duty called.
But these hormones of yours, oh these hormones. They made you ache for him. Long for the heat of his body in yours and the cool of his breath on your neck all hours of the day. Miss him even more when he was gone. Getting Clark to make love to you (he would never use another term while referring to sex, as he found it much too vulgar) was a bit of a feat. He was much too concerned with harming you to act on his own desires. He was holding back.
But when you finally could get him in bed (after at least thirty minutes of trying to find a comfortable enough position), it was bliss. Your whole body was satiated in the most primal way.
—
When you finally did go into labor, it…wasn’t what you expected. It began as a dull ache, a lingering pain in your lower pack that you passed off as your strange sleeping position.
As time passed, the pain became more insistent, coming and going. Signaling that it was time. Urging you to prepare.
You told Clark as soon as you fully understood what was happening. You were going into labor. The baby was coming.
Clark immediately started to panic, running around the house as if he were trying to catch a mouse. The living room, the kitchen, the bedroom—he was everywhere. Desperately trying to collect everything you two could possibly need. To be the utmost prepared. Even if there were a hospital bag prepared weeks ago, sitting patiently at the bottom of your closet.
Through the chaos of it all, you were silent. A statue in his tornado of movement. You were beginning to panic a bit too, you admit. How was this thing supposed to come out of there?
Your daughter was already measuring above average, a shock to just about no one.
When Clark finally deemed the hospital bag acceptable, he rushed the two of you off to the hospital. Well, "rushed" was a bit of a stretch; the man never went over the speed limit.
As soon as you arrived at the hospital, you were promptly sent back home. Your contractions were much too far apart, and you were only 2 centimeters dilated—far from active labor. Perhaps you two jumped the gun a bit. New parent panic and all.
You returned home a bit disappointed. You were ready to get this baby out of you, and your contractions didn't seem to be getting any closer together.
You were so, so uncomfortable, squirming around on the couch as Clark rubbed your feet gently. You were trying to will your contractions to come, just to speed up the process.
But no, the universe was not that kind. You spent 12 dreadful hours in early labor, your contractions moving at a snail's pace. You swear Clark was starting to develop wrinkles from the stress of your labor alone.
"Let's just go back to the hospital, honey," he said, massaging your shoulders as you sat on the edge of the bed.
“Just for them to send us back home?” You sighed, becoming irritated at the whole situation. “5 minutes apart, remember?” you questioned.
“Yes, I know, but geez—it couldn't hurt, right? I think I'm getting gray hairs," he said, rubbing your shoulders more profusely. You think he’s doing it to soothe himself more than you at this point.
You shook your head, pushing your legs onto the bed as Clark rushed to help you, slowly lowering you down onto the bed. You stared at him silently for a moment before speaking, "Just keep timing them, okay? I want to rest.”
He nodded his head, tucking the sheets under your chin.
Eventually you found yourself back at the hospital, your contractions mere moments apart.
—
Hours later you are lying on a hospital bed, exhausted and happy. Your little girl is here. Nearly ten pounds. She came into the world calm and collected, and she nearly gave you and Clark a heart attack when she took her time to cry.
Clark is a mess, little drops of snot escaping from his nose as he watches your daughter squirm on your chest. Time slows to a standstill as you and Clark watch your daughter just…live. Nurses come and go, but you cannot rip your eyes from her.
You are in pain, yes, but your body already seems to be forgetting the pain. Clark is sniffling as he wraps his body around you two, whispering quiet “thank you”s and praises into your necks.
“She is just…wow. She is perfect,” Clark murmurs, tracing the outline of her nose with his fingertip. He could hold her whole body in his two hands.
You look up at him, sweat lingering at your hairline. “She is. She really just came out of me.” Clark nodded at you, laughing gently, "Yes, she really did."
You cock your head at her for a moment, taking in the rolls on her arms and those cheeks of hers. “She’s a bit chubby though, huh?” You say, giggling to yourself.
Clark looks mildly offended as he pinches her cheeks. "She's not chubby, hun. You just did a good job at nourishing her, that’s all."
He leaned down to your little girl tucked in your arms, gently rubbing his nose against hers and reassuring her that no, she was not chubby, and yes, she was a strong girl.
You roll your eyes at him halfheartedly. You are so in love. There is no one more deserving of this than Clark—of this quiet happiness. You watch him as he stares at his daughter, starstruck.
She is still quiet in your arms, eyes pinched together and breaths gentle. You start to drift, her breaths seeming almost melodic. Clark gently lifts her from your arms without a word, tucking you deeper into the blanket.
Now was the time for much-needed rest. Rest came easy knowing that Clark was right here, beside you, cradling the little life you created together like she was made out of the most delicate glass in the world.
—
The newborn phase was not as easy as it was chalked up to be. Your coworkers, family, and even just random moms at the park all told tales of the exhausting cycle of waking up, feeding, changing diapers, soothing, changing diapers again, taking all the sleep you can get, and repeating.
This little alien had different plans, though. She would
Not.
Stop.
Crying.
You are at your wits end, running on just a few hours of sleep. Clark urged you to stay down, to ignore her crying because he would handle it. You tried your very best, but your instincts just would not let you.
The moment you heard that little shrill cry break through the air, your body sprung awake, all your nerves on high alert as you frantically searched the room for your baby.
Clark had taken her to the doctor, concerned there was something gravely wrong that her little body couldn’t voice. But no. She’s in perfect health. Colic most likely.
She likes to cry at night.
During the day, she is a picture-perfect baby. Calm but clingy. Drooling on Clark’s shirt as he paces around the living room with her.
At night, her little face becomes so scrunched and teary that it pains you to look at. She’s starting to rub off on you. You burst into tears almost every time she does.
You feel utterly helpless; this little baby that cannot do anything for herself is upset, and there’s nothing you can do to help her.
You like to take her out on the balcony during the day. Sit in a comfy rocking chair and feel the warm rays of sun on your skin as you nurse her. The sun always makes you feel better, a little less tired—a side effect of pregnancy that you think will probably always follow you.
Clark stands on the threshold of the sliding glass door behind you, pondering. When you look up at him, he’s rubbing his chin, glasses slightly askew and eyebrows tense.
“What is it?” You ask, rocking your daughter gently in the chair.
He taps on his chin a few times before flicking his gaze down at you two. “She never cries during the day. At least not how she does during the night.”
"Yeah, I’ve noticed,” you scoff
He walks toward you, crouching down to eye level with you. He strokes his daughter's head gently, still looking like he is trying to solve an impossible math equation.
“What is it, Clark?”
"Well, this is… I mean, it’s just an idea. Geez, I don’t know how any of this stuff works. I-I could be totally wrong, who knows?" he rambles on, never looking you in the eye.
“What are you getting at, honey?” You ask, lifting your brow at him.
Well, remember when you were pregnant and you would get weak? It’s because you weren’t getting enough sun, right?”
“Go on…”
"Well, what if she is that same way, y’know? If she doesn’t get enough sunlight during the day, she’s uncomfortable at night.”
“Oh…that actually kinda makes sense…"
“Right? Maybe we just need to take her out more during the day,” he says as he stands, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking entirely too proud of himself.
You sigh and look down at your girl, completely content on your chest. "Well, it wouldn’t hurt to try,” you say, standing with her.
You hand Clark his daughter gently, adjusting your tank top. “Let’s start now. You sit out here with her while I get some sleep, k?” You are already walking away before you finish the sentence.
Clark gives a flimsy salute, tapping his feet together. "Yes, ma’am!”
You collapse into your bed, ever grateful for how quiet Metropolis has sounded lately. No sirens, no cars honking or people yelling on the street below. You start to wonder if Clark has anything to do with that, but you succumb to sleep before you can finish the thought.
Much to your and Clark's pleasure, she slept well, like a baby, that night. You got up to feed her twice, and that was it.
You can't believe it. You could have saved yourself so much agony by just…going outside. Clark did not seem surprised by the whole situation at all. "Kryptonians are weird” and all.
You are sitting up in bed next to Clark. His legs are raised, and your daughter rests comfortably against them.
He isn't human. You know that. You know that you fell in love with an extraterrestrial, but Clark never let the fact affect your relationship. For all intents and purposes, you had a completely normal relationship, save for the fact that your husband could literally lift a building with one hand.
Clark looks at you, a soft smile gracing his lips. You smile back.
“This is just the beginning,” you croak. “Before we know it, she's going to be floating out of her crib.”
You both look down at your daughter, studying her features.
“I know. She's going to be a lot to handle," he says, lovingly.
"Mmh," you hum.
The morning is slow and sleepy, early rays of sunlight breaking through your curtains. You snuggle yourself closer to him. He welcomes you easily, securing an arm around you as you watch your baby. She is cooing softly, enamored with the dust floating in the air.
Clark cranes his head down slightly, his nose meeting your scalp. He kisses your head once, then twice, breathing in your scent in between.
“I wouldn't worry, honey. Whatever she throws at us, we can take it. Together," he whispers.
You look up at him. His eyes are so, so sincere. That's what made you fall in love with him in the first place. He could never hide anything behind those eyes.
You lean up to him, meeting his lips softly. He kisses you almost reverently, his hand coming to meet your jaw, stroking your cheek slowly. You don't know how long it goes on for. You are lost in the moment, just happy to be here. With him.
Your daughter seems to sense that she is being ignored, whining loudly. You pull away, switching your attention to your pouty baby and leaning over to pick her up.
"Oh, how dare we?!” you gasp, feigning shock. “How dare we forget you for even a moment?”
You kiss the soft skin on the side of her head repeatedly, trying to be forgiven for your sins.
Clark is silent.
He is almost brought to tears; his blues begin to shine. Yes, he thinks this is worth it.
All the worry, all the pain, everything was worth it just to see this. In this moment, he isn't ashamed of himself, of his nature.
How could he be when it created something so beautiful? In every life he would choose this. He would choose you.
He would do it over and over again, and so would you.
Note: i read fics all the time where reader has a baby and i think "thats a stupid fucking name i would never name my baby that" i didn't want to subject anyone to that with this fic so baby girl remains un-named lol🙂↕️