Different

Note: between the "¥ ¥ ¥ " 's means a flashback.

Note 2: my computer's messed up so that's why it's all smuched together… I hate technology… : )

Whitney sighed and put his arms behind his head. Four-thirty. Still two hours and a half before he had to get up and go to work.

His wife rolled over in her sleep and draped herself across his chest, murmuring softly.

He smiled to himself. Before, when thinking about marriage, one person always came to mind first. Chestnut brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, small lithe figure. Lana Lang. The picture of perfection. They'd gone out for so long before the decision. Before she realized that she was in love with the one guy that Whitney had been so afraid for so long that she was going to leave him for. Clark Kent. Even thinking about him made Whitney tense, even now.

In addition, the Lana-Clark thing couldn't have happened at a worse time. His father had finally given up the fight against cancer the summer after senior year. He'd gone to Lana's, almost crying because it was okay to cry in front of her. Instead, he found them making out in her aunt's barn. So he ran. He ran until his breath came in ragged gasps, ran until his legs collapsed underneath him, ran until he couldn't. And then he'd cried. Sobbing like a child. Dry racking sobs, coughing, tears… but it didn't matter because no one was out there… or so he thought. Lex Luthor found him, asleep and exhausted from running, from crying, from the past week while his father fought to his last breath.

¥ ¥ ¥

He woke in a big bed in crisp clean sheets. "What the hell…?"

"Good morning. I trust you slept well…" Lex said, getting up from a chair beside the bed. "You were pretty battered last night. You okay?"

Whitney sat up. "Lex Luthor… what? Why?…"

The older man's forehead wrinkled, as if trying to remember something. "I don't really know…" he said finally. "I suppose I would have to say pity. I found you curled up in a ball, dried tears on your cheeks. I didn't realize why until this morning when Clark called, asking if you were here, and I saw on the news about your father. I'm sorry, Whitney," he finished, rather lamely.

Whitney reddened and looked away, out the window. "Clark always was the hero. I don't blame Lana, of course. I haven't seen her in two weeks…" Then he turned back to Lex, his face hard. "I don't want your pity. I just want to go home." He slid out of bed, realizing that he had pyjamas on.

"I took the liberty of washing you clothes," Lex continued. "Do you want some breakfast?" Without waiting for an answer, he started out of the room. He was used to people following his orders.

Whitney followed slowly, looking around. He felt like a little kid. "What do you want from me?" he asked as they entered a dining room.

"What do you want to do with your life, Whitney?" Lex asked, sitting down.

Whitney looked over to him, surprised. What was this? "Play football," he answered automatically.

Lex steepled his fingers in front of him. "Ever thought about business?"

¥ ¥ ¥

When he left the Luthor's, he'd gone into Metropolis and signed up for night courses. He didn't go back to Smallville. Lex had convinced him and it had payed off. He was now owner of his own company, Fordman Chemicals, that worked closely with Luthor Corps.

He checked his watch again. Two hours left.

"Whit, are you awake?" his wife asked, running a hand soothingly up and down his arm.

"Yeah," he replied, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "Go back to sleep. It's not time to get up yet."

She shook her head, her short hair brushing his chest. "Something's bothering you. I can hear it in your voice. What is it?"

"Nothing, Chlo. Work stuff. Go back to sleep." He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. Chloe Sullivan kissed his chest sleepily and slipped back asleep.

Chloe. He almost laughed. She was the last person he imagined ending up with. They were so different. And yet…

They'd met by accident on the bus in Metropolis. She was on her way to her job at the Daily Planet and he was on his way to a meeting with Lex. He almost hadn't recognized her, she looked so grown up and beautiful. But when he talked to her, he saw in her eyes the same girl he'd gone to high school with.

¥ ¥ ¥

The bus jolted and he spilled coffee all over his paper. "Dammit!" he half yelled, trying to shake the remains off without getting it all over himself.

"Here," a female voice said from behind him and a napkin wiped up the rest of the coffee off his newspaper.

"Thanks," he said, turning a bit to see the speaker.

The blond gave him a smile that opened in shock. "Whitney?"

He looked at her closely. "Do I know you?" Maybe she was from one of the clubs he went to. Maybe one of Lex's girls. Who knew… Metropolis seemed full of blonds.

"Whitney Fordman. It is you!" She gave him a hug then pulled away. "It's me! Chloe Sullivan! I can't believe you don't' remember me! I haven't seen you in, like, five years… not since…" she trailed away, and the smile disappeared and she looked at her shoes. "Anyway," she continued, a little more subdued. "It was good to see you…"

He stared at her. Chloe Sullivan. She looked amazing. Why didn't he realize before that she wasn't just a nerdy school paper girl. "Uh, yeah, I remember you. Wow… Do you want to get some coffee and catch up? Like you said, it's been five years…" He flashed her his winning smile.

She smiled hesitantly back, probably thinking about him from high school. "Uh, sure. I guess…"

"Great, uh, I'm in meetings all day today but how about tomorrow night? There's this little café on Broad St. 'Le P'tit? Meet me there around eight?" He was being forward but he honestly wanted to see her. He hadn't seen anyone from Smallville since he'd left.

The smile grew. "Yeah, okay…"

"So you're affiliated with Lex now… I wondered what happened to him after he left Metropolis…" Chloe said, laughing. "That's so cool."

Whitney nodded. "Yeah, well, he's fine. He's still annoyingly calm about everything. It drives me insane…"

"Oh, me too! I mean, it did. I just wanted to yell at him to smile or laugh or anything… god, he was like an iceman or something!"

He nodded, watching her face sparkle, watching her eyes light up and her blond hair move back and forth. "He's loosened up a bit now that his father's gone."

"Yeah, I heard about that…" She took a sip of coffee and stole a glance at his face. He'd grown even more hunky with age… she thought to herself, then berated herself. He wasn't a piece of meat. She sounded like those rich girls she dealt with sometimes… the ones with the boy toy hunks.

"What about you? What do you do in the big city of Metropolis?" he asked.

"I work for the Daily Planet."

"That's what you always wanted, wasn't it?" he asked, remembering her love for journalism in high school.

She looked at him in surprise. "Uh, yeah…"

"Not quite the dumb jock you thought I was," he said dryly, making her blush.

"No," she replied softly. "Not quite."

¥ ¥ ¥

Coffee evolved to drinks and dancing, drinks and dancing evolved to dinner and a movie, dinner and a movie evolved to going out for three years, and that had evolved to marriage. It had been a small ceremony, just family and a few friends. Pete Ross showed up to congratulate the pair, Lana and Clark didn't. They must have known though. New traveled fast in Smallville.

He brought his hand up so his wedding ring caught the light. He didn't regret it. Not for a minute. He closed his eyes and squeezed the small blond closer to him.

To be continued… :)