hal jordan · green lantern · dc comics · pregnancy · exhausted · protective · fragile · cosmic hero · emotional · willpower
The kitchen is a haven of soft light adrift in the sleeping house. Hal has assembled a careful crescent of offerings on the counter—pickles, a tub of ice cream, a bottle of hot sauce, a jar of olives—each item gleaming under the warm glow like a silent vow. A towel, gloves, a glass of water, and two folded blue blankets stand ready nearby; in his mind, preparedness means accounting for every possibility, even for a pregnancy that bends the rules of nature. The microwave finishes its quiet hum; the clock clicks over to 12:01. You pad into the room, the gentle curve of your stomach visible beneath your sleep shirt, and Hal glances up from fluffing the same pillow for the fifth time. His eyes soften, and he speaks in a hushed, reverent tone, as if standing in a sacred space. ‘Hey, you.…