A/N - Welcome back, crackship fans. (But it's a crackship TREATED SERIOUSLY ok? LOL)

Chapter 2

"I can't even tell you how long it's been since I last gave a woman my phone number," Lex smiled down at Steph, now that their mutual waterworks had stopped and he was cozily cuddling her, keeping her firmly planted in his lap.

"Why me, then?" Steph said curiously.

She had wondered that at the time, why Lex had asked for her number when he'd finally pulled out of her, sweaty and breathless, on the darkened balcony of LexCorp's ballroom level.

"I'd love to see you the next time I'm in Gotham," Lex had said, and Steph had been so surprised that she'd found herself reciting her digits while Lex tapped them into his phone. Her purse buzzed a second later with a muffled text alert.

"Give me a call the next time you're in Metropolis, too," Lex had smiled at her, before giving her one last, lingering kiss and smoothing her hair down, then striding away and slipping back into the ballroom, leaving Steph alone on the balcony.

"You were refreshingly unusual," Lex was chuckling now. "Asking me to dance with you to make your ex jealous. I appreciate a thirst for revenge," he laughed lightly, but Steph was all too aware how seriously the super-villain meant his words.

And not only that, but - making Timothy "the Drake heir" Wayne jealous because of their 'recent breakup' had been a cover story. B had tasked Steph and Tim with distracting Lex at the gala so that he could sneak out and snoop around the R&D Department to gather firsthand intel on some alarmingly suspicious meta-humans that Superman had recently encountered in Metropolis that the Justice League thought might be linked to LexCorp experiments.

Granted, fucking Lex had not been part of the distract-him plan. And Steph could've easily not fucked him, was the thing. When Lex had asked her if she wanted to get a little air with him on the balcony, she could have said no and kept dancing with him, instead.

But… well… he was really hot and flirty, ok? Like, seriously coming on to her in a way that not many guys did, especially not recently, and Steph had been flattered and turned on and she'd really been enjoying how handsy he was while they'd danced, and how he'd played up the whole jealousy angle so much at her request and relentlessly mocked Tim with her over quiet glances and whispers, and -

It wasn't like B had never fucked a criminal. So Steph felt totally (not quite) (she knew it was a horrible idea) justified in letting Lex pull her outside and press her up against the dark wall and fuck her senseless. It had been damn good. And they'd used a condom, and she was on the motherfuckin' pill - but -

Now Lex was all excited to be having a baby with her and he thought Tim was her much hated, very recent ex, when actually he was her very best friend. Crap. Umm….. well, blushing was a good start.

"Oh, God, Lex," Steph said in distress that was all too easy to fake. "I lied about that."

Lex's eyebrows went up, but he looked amused more than angry. So far.

"I, um, just thought you were really hot and I wanted to dance with you and I saw how you kept brushing off every other woman who tried to get close to you all night and Tim's actually my best friend, although we did used to date a long time ago, but that's why he went along with me when I said I wanted to get your attention by making him seem jealous and um…. I'm really sorry," Steph said to wrap up her rambling. "I swear I didn't mean to get pregnant, though. I'm horrified," she said, and that, she meant with every fiber of her being.

Much to her relief, Lex started laughing, quietly at first and then a big booming belly laugh.

"Sweetheart, the only thing I appreciate even more than revenge is a devious mind," he said, pulling her close and planting a warm kiss on her lips. "I think I like you even more now," he mused, regarding her thoughtfully. "That was a fantastically clever plan. And it worked," he said, still chuckling.

Steph let out a relieved breath but groaned in unfeigned embarrassment.

"It worked too well," she mumbled, burying her face in Lex's shoulder.

"But you do want to keep the baby?" Lex checked with some concern, brushing Steph's hair off of her face and nudging her eyes towards his.

"Yes," Steph said without hesitation. "Definitely. I can't - abortion's not for me. And I can't go through another adoption," she said in a shaky voice. "It almost killed me the last time. I never stop thinking about my daughter," she said softly. "And missing her. All the time. I hate that I got pregnant again and this time my whole life is going to change into something completely different than what I had planned for myself but -" She bit her lip, not quite able to voice her feelings.

"I understand," Lex said gently. "And I am here for you and our child. In fact," he said thoughtfully, rubbing his jaw, "why don't you move in with me?"

"Lex!" Steph said, completely startled. "I can't - we haven't even dated - I live in Gotham -"

Lex raised his eyebrows at her.

"Obviously we'll begin dating now," he said calmly. "And I want you close by so I can take care of you."

"I'm in college," Steph said, still in shock. "I can't just -"

Lex made a small, dismissive noise in his throat.

"Are you in the middle of any classes? It's the summer session now, isn't it? We can get you transferred to Metropolis U by the start of the fall semester," he said briskly.

"No," Steph said more strongly, finding her nerve. "I appreciate the offer," she said when Lex's eyes narrowed the slightest bit, "so much," she added, laying a hand on his forearm and giving him a smile, "but I love Gotham, Lex. With all my heart and soul. I don't ever want to live anywhere else. And I'm invested in my PT program and already have a great advisor and I've been making contacts through my internships and - I don't want to move to Metropolis," Steph said quietly but firmly.

Lex let out a long, slightly exasperated sigh.

"You Gothamites," he muttered, but his gaze on her had gotten fond again. "There must be something in the water," he said dryly. "Because God knows none of you ever want to leave that hellhole."

Steph grinned at him.

"There's no place like home," she said. "And yes, I'm quite sure there's tons of crap in the water." Lex snorted.

"I'll be outfitting your apartment with a purified water cooler immediately," he said, and he was half-teasing, but Steph was positive that she was going to have a delivery van showing up on Monday morning.

"I suppose…" Lex said slowly. He sighed. "I suppose I can purchase a penthouse in Gotham and commute back and forth to Metropolis. It's not far by helicopter."

Steph's throat got tight, but it was only partly with panic.

"You would do that?" she asked him softly.

"Yes," Lex said seriously. "I intend to raise this baby with you," he said. "And I would like very much for us to be a couple while we do that," he said more gently, stroking a finger down Steph's cheek.

She swallowed, because it would be so easy to give into the softer emotions of the moment and say yes - but in reality, there was no way in hell she could move in with Lex, and she honestly shouldn't even date him. Plus, his intensity a few minutes ago had scared the fuck out of her, the way he'd started making decisions for her and trying to dictate her life.

"We have to date some first before I decide about moving in with you," Steph said firmly, to buy herself time to regroup with the (surely going to be horrified and judgy) Bats, as she met Lex's eyes.

"I have to make sure you're worthy of my time and attention, after all," she teased when Lex frowned. "Maybe," Steph said more playfully, looping her arms around Lex and pressing a little kiss to his lips, "maybe you're a bad man who I should stay far, far away from."

Nothing like a little reverse psychology, right? And some sexy flirtation to ease the tension of the moment?

"Plus, I'm thinking for two now," Steph continued to tease as Lex's eyes thankfully began to twinkle. "I have to make sure you're fit to be a full-time father," she grinned as she traced her fingertips over his bald head.

"Maybe you're cranky and short-tempered and will make our baby cry," she said, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Or maybe you'll be too demanding and our kid will end up needing years of therapy if we live together. These are very important things that a mother needs to find out, before shacking up with her baby daddy," Steph smirked at him.

"Mmf," Lex said, but his face had thankfully relaxed. "I can assure you that I will be an excellent father and an excellent partner," he said.

Steph really had her doubts, but, hey. That was a problem for another day - when she was safely back in Gotham. Right now, she was in a Metropolis penthouse with her (over)devoted baby daddy who she had at least temporarily managed to wind around her finger.

"You can assure me, huh?" Steph said, kneeling upright to straddle Lex's lap before kissing the tip of his nose. "When you can prove it to me, then we can talk about getting me movers," she smiled.

Lex growled deep in his throat as his hands tightened on Steph's waist.

"I take it your stomach's feeling better?" he said.

"Much," Steph beamed at him.

"Then I have a few things that I can prove to you right now," Lex smirked.

Hey, it was manipulation sex. Totally for her own protection. A simple case of keeping her friends close and her enemies closer.

So what if her enemy gave damn fine orgasms.

A/N - I'm gonna write more. Not sure how much more. At least until we get to some sort of conclusion or ending. I mean, we definitely need Batman and Tim's reactions, amirite? *snickers*