White Versus Red
Series/Sequel: snippet from the 'Scent' universe
Pairing: CLex
Rating: PG
Notes: if you've seen the advert you'll know why I couldn't resist, damned Oceanspray!
For Christine, I wrote most of Scent of a Man whilst visiting her!
At a quiet cough, Lex looked up. "You okay, baby?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, Daddy," Lillian smiled at her father, "Can I have some juice?"
"It's please may I have, and of course you may," Lex said with a soft smile. He got up and went to the kitchen, pursing his lips as he perused the fridge. Sighing, Lex made a mental note to ask Clark to stop buying such weird juices and took the carton and a glass back to his office. He sat down next to his tiny daughter and put down the juice and glass so he could smooth her red, curly hair back from her face.
"Daddy," she huffed, wriggling away and shaking her head.
Lex grinned, "Sorry, sweetie. How's the book?"
"It's okay," she said with a shrug. "It would be better if you read it to me." She smiled winningly.
Lex snorted. "I'm sure it would, but you know I have to work," he said. She pouted at him and Lex bent his head to kiss her cheek, "That pout only works for your father, baby, you know that." He relented when she turned it on even more. "I'm nearly done, Lily, I'll read to you soon, okay?"
"Okay." She nodded, "Juice?"
"Manners?" Lex countered, but nonetheless poured her a glass. He got up and went back to his desk. A couple of minutes later a throat being cleared caught his attention, but he continued to read his report, waiting for Lillian to speak.
"Daddy?" Lillian started.
"Yes, Lily?" Lex looked up.
"I thought cranberries were red," she said, a tiny frown creasing her brow.
"They are," Lex replied with a nod.
"But these ones are white," she said, gesturing at the carton of white cranberry juice.
"They're picked earlier," Lex explained.
"Oh." She smiled and picked up her book again. Shaking his head, Lex went back to his report. "Daddy?"
Closing his eyes for a second first, Lex looked up again inquiringly.
"If I'd come out of Poppa's tummy earlier, would I have been blonde then?" she asked, perfectly seriously.
Lex pressed his lips together, desperately trying to hold back laughter. Lillian did not like her questions being laughed at. Even at the tender age of five, she was very much a Luthor. "No, darling, you didn't ripen, you grew," Lex said quietly.
"So I would always have had red hair?" she sighed.
"Yes, baby," Lex smiled ruefully. "That's my fault I'm afraid."
She looked at him quizzically. "But Daddy, you haven't got any hair." She frowned at him in confusion.
"I had curly red hair just like yours until I was nine, Lily," Lex said quietly, "Then Poppa arrived on Earth and it all fell out."
"Poppa made you lose all your hair?" Lillian asked, blinking widely.
Lex sighed. He'd over-explained and now Lillian wouldn't be satisfied until she knew everything. "I tell you what, honey, you read, I'll finish work, then later, Poppa and I can tell you the whole story together, okay?"
Lillian pouted at him, but nodded. "Okay, Daddy."
@>*~
Later that evening, while Jonel watched his sister and his own son, Ryan, Lex finished up his work, waiting for his husband to get home.
A footstep was his only warning before he was wrapped in a tight embrace.
"Mmm, Lex," Clark sighed, inhaling deeply, filling his senses with his husband. It had been a long day.
Lex leaned back with a soft smile. "Baby," he started.
"Yeah," Clark turned Lex's chair around to sit in his lap.
"You'll never guess what Lillian said today."
end
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