A/N : This is my first Chloe/Whitney fic. I'm not sure how good it is, but I hope you enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think. This is part 1 of 2.

Disclaimer : All characters belong to the WB and/or DC Comics.

"Hey Sullivan, wrote any good articles lately?" a voice called behind me. I turned quickly to give my usually sarcastic response, but I got a shock when I saw who it was.

"Hey stranger! How was life fighting for Uncle Sam?" I said with a smile as Whitney grabbed the stool next to mine.

"It was a good experience, but I'm glad to be back home. It's been a long time" he sighed, as he looked around.

"Yeah, and a lot has changed..." I trailed off. I had at least learnt to have some tact when it came to love after my own bad experiences with the condition.

"You mean Lana?" he said, as if he knew what I was thinking. I guess I must have looked as surprised as I felt, "It's okay, I can say her name without bursting into tears" he smiled "Actually it's her I came here to see" I made a face at that.

"Well that doesn't surprise me. Lana is the star attraction of this place for every guy in the area"

"Jealous, are we?" he grinned, which was kind of annoying, but I have to admit Whitney Fordman is certainly not bad to look at and that smile of his is pretty special. Maybe not as special as Clarks, now that's a smile, but it was still nice.

"No comment" I said flatly.

"Whitney?" Lana wandered over and Whitney was immediately out of his seat and had his arms round her.

"How are you?" the girl smiled when she was finally allowed to breathe again.

"I'm good. Glad to be back"

She smiled, nervously, as he looked her up and down, "Y'know you look great" he told her and it was sickening to watch her blush and go all sweet and Lana-like,

"Thanks, so do you"

Thankfully, this moment of sugaryness didn't last when Clark came bounding in. Lana jumped back like fifty feet from Whitney and I don't think Clark even noticed he was there.

"Hey, beautiful" he called, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek.

"Clark, look who's back" Lana went back to being nervous again. I'll admit I was kind of intrigued to see what would happen next. Especially since I saw the ex-football-star physically flinch as soon as Clark's lips made contact with Lana's face.

"Hey Clark" Whitney finally got the attention of our resident hero-farmboy and actually he looked kind of nervous too.

"Hey Whitney, when did you get back?" he asked, and I listened and watched intently. I'll admit I was only paying attention in the vain hope of, at minimum, a heated discussion, at best, some kind of 'duel to the death' type thing.

"Late last night, so I'm still pretty tired. I really only came in to say hi, and now I've done that I ought to be heading home to get some more sleep. I'll see you guys later"

Obviously I was completed disgusted at this guys attitude. What had happened to the guy who wanted to kick Clarks butt every time he even looked at Lana Lang? I was curious to find out what was going on and okay, I admit it, I always thought he was kind of cute in high school too.

"Hey, Fordman, wait up!" I called as I came out of the front doors of the Talon right behind him.

"What?" he turned to look at me.

"I saw your reaction to Clark and Lana being 'together'. I guess you didn't know about them hooking up" I think he would have liked to have been mad at me for noticing, but he knew I was right so he couldn't really argue.

"Well, I knew he liked her and I suppose on some level I knew she liked him too but seeing them together like that..." he started and I finished for him.

"...it just makes you want to hit your head against a brick wall, vomit severely or, preferably, both?"

"How did you guess?" he smiled again and without meaning to do it, I smiled at him too.

"Because for some strange reason we appear to have something in common" I told him, but he turned to walk away anyway.

"I seriously doubt that"

"Oh come on Fordman, give it up" I went after him and dared to put my hand on his arm, "You don't want those two to be together any more than I do. You still have feelings for Lana and I, well, I..." I stumbled over what I wanted to say as I realised exactly who I was talking to and what I was saying.

"You still have feelings for Clark, right?" he guessed and I was frankly a little surprised that he knew.

"How did you...?"

"Oh come on Chloe, everybody knew. All the kids in school knew that Clark liked Lana and that you liked Clark. Why do you think none of the guys asked you out?" he kind of smiled, but this time I didn't.

"Excuse me, but I got asked out in high school, more than once" I pointed out, which probably wasn't the best thing to say, seeing as all the guys I went out with in high school were freaks or, well, Clark.

"I know that, but I mean, like, the guys in the football team. They all thought you were totally hot but we never did anything about it because we knew you were totally hung up on Kent" I couldn't really argue with that. I mean, Sean Kelvin was on the football team and he did ask me out. Granted he was a meteor-freak but still, he was a football player and I think he was still normal when he asked me out. I decided to pick up on another point instead.

"We? Please don't tell me you're including yourself in that comment because I happen to know you and the wondrous Miss Lang were the perfect couple all through High School" I could not believe that this guy ever actually looked at me twice although, I'm willing to admit I may have checked him out on the odd occasion.

"Things can't be perfect all the time, Chloe, and just because I was going out with Lana doesn't make me blind to all other girls"

"Why not? That's what it's like with Clark" I pointed out, "Y'know, I bet I could run past him completely naked, and if Lana was there, he wouldn't even notice me" There was me thinking I'd made a smart comment but...

"Give me a call when you test that theory..." his smile widened and I'm ashamed to say I blushed bright red. I couldn't see myself but I could feel it.

"Not funny, Fordman!" I decided the best way to hide my embarrassment would be to yell and run, so I turned to walk away, but he called after me.

"Chloe, it was a joke" I glanced back, "and is there any chance of you actually using my first name next time we talk"

"Next time?" I was intrigued by that, so I turned back to face him properly again.

"Well, who better to help me catch up on the latest happening of Smallville" he smiled that smile for about the fourth time in as many minutes and it was enough to deletee every trace of embarrassment and annoyance his earlier comment might have caused. "At least I know your version of the last years events will be honest, if not a little blunt"

"Hey, I'm a reporter, bluntness is an important quality" I smiled too now, happy that at least someone appreciated me and desperate not to fixate on the point that he planned on talking to me again soon, but he called me on it.

"Is avoiding the issue important too?"

"That depends on what the 'issue' is"

"You wanna grab a coffee with me tomorrow or not?"

I wasn't sure whether that was a serious offer or not and given my track record with the guys of Smallville, I was a little wary in my response.

"Why would you, ex-jockstrap star of Smallville High Football team and recent fighter for our great country, want to drink coffee, with me, lonely and caffeine dependant reporter?"

"I just told you, you can help me catch up on whats been going on around here, plus now we have something in common..." he explained and I told myself to just go for it.

"Okay, here's the deal. Tomorrow, at two o'clock, I'll meet you for coffee, but it will be at the Beanery, not the Talon, for obvious reasons" I rolled my eyes and he understood, "Also, comments about the a certain nameless couple will be kept to the minimum. Okay?"

"I thought I was asking you for coffee not negotiating a treaty!" he smirked, which was cute but kind of annoying.

"Do we have a deal, Fordman?" I wanted to know.

"Yes, but I have a condition too"

"Okay..."

"That you please learn to use my first name"

"Fine" I rolled my eyes "hence forth you shall be Whitney, okay?" Which was pretty weird for me because I'd called him by his surname for as long as I can remember.

"Thankyou. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, at two" he smiled and waved as he walked away.

"Yes, you will" I said, more to myself than to him, and for some strange reason, I was kind of excited.

A/N : Please review and I will post the second half soon!