Lex sipped his coffee and studied the pale, chubby arms and hands clutching at a teddy bear. His eyes traveled up to the bright red hair and rosy, round cheeks. The deep brown eyes turned and latched onto his and the cherub mouth broke into a smile.

“Mamma!” The little girl lisped, “Look! Pretty!” She exclaimed pointing a chubby finger at Lex.

Clark chuckled. “Babies like you, Lex.”

Lex turned his attention back to Clark. “Babies are like dogs, Clark. They always like the person who least likes them.”

Clark grinned. “I think it's the bald head. It's familiar.”

Lex rolled his eyes and swallowed more coffee. At the sound of burbling baby laughter, Lex looked up to catch Clark staring at the little girl with something close to longing.

“Do you ever think about getting a kid, Lex?” Clark asked suddenly.

Lex’s fingers spasmed around his mug and he swallowed the mouthful of coffee he had almost spit out. “You don’t just ‘get a kid’, Clark.” Lex replied carefully.

“Right. I know.” Clark’s eyes strayed over to the little girl again. She was gnawing happily at a cookie and singing softly to herself. Lex prayed that she would throw a temper tantrum any second now.

“I mean…do you ever think about an heir?” Clark asked, glancing at Lex bashfully.

“I fully intend to live forever, Clark. I don’t think I’ll need an heir.”

Clark rolled his eyes, “Good luck with that, Lex.”

“You doubt me?” Lex asked with a smirk that twisted his features and narrowed his eyes.

“No. Not really. Who knows what you’ll manage to accomplish.” Clark sighed. “Maybe you can find a way to reanimate the dead while you are at it.”

“Don’t you watch science fiction, Clark? Reanimation leads to nothing but trouble.” Lex grinned. “No, if I have anything to do with it, the dead will stay dead.”

“So you never think about a child?” Clark asked again.

Lex paused to consider. Clark could be like a dog with a bone. “Do you think about children, Clark?” Lex asked measuring each word for tone and emphasis.

Clark shifted back in his seat and brushed hair from his eyes. He looked away, uncomfortable. Lex hoped that even though he had his answer in Clark’s body language that Clark wouldn’t actually answer.

“Yeah. I do. And you don’t?”

Damn, Clark could be tenacious.

"I've thought of many things in my life."

"What if I said that I wanted a kid?"

"I'd say we need to have a serious discussion about who is going to change the diapers."

Clark's mouth quirked up into a half smile. "Very funny."

"I wasn't kidding." Lex sighed and leaned back in his seat. "You drive this car, Clark. You know that."

Clark grinned. "Yeah. I'm the boss of big, scary, mean Lex Luthor."

Lex sipped his coffee turned to look at the little girl again. She was becoming restless and he waited until she began to scream hysterically to say, "Should I have Marjorie call for information on adoption or do you want to explore surrogate mothers?"

Clark's eyes went wide. "Uh. I--uh--"

Lex watched as Clark gazed in terror at the baby and her mother who could not quell the screams. Clark swallowed convulsively and blinked as the little angel began to spit pieces of half-chewed cookie out of her mouth while she continued to holler.

"Uh--"

Lex couldn't hold back the chuckle.

Clark glared at him. "I'm busted, huh?"

"Completely."

Lex turned back to his coffee, watching the woman drag the still crying child out of the café. He glanced at Clark and smiled in victory.

"Hey, Lex? Do you ever think about getting a dog?"

The End