If I'd owned anything Whitney'd still be alive & Tom Welling would be in Supergirl...
Scary. Amazing. Frightening. Breathtaking.
All those words and more encompassed Whitney's mind as he stood motionless in front of the Smallville Grocery Store staring at the gray sky. The tornado sirens howled around him, loudly signaling for him and everyone else to take cover, but for those few seconds, he was unable to take his eyes off of the monster headed his way, getting caught up in the fierce power of the tornado.
He'd lived in Smallville all his life, and tornadoes were a common thing in Kansas- he had definitely seen his share. But that didn't stop him from watching as the large funnel-shaped disaster whipped through trees and power lines, making a beeline for the very spot where he stood. But more importantly, making it's way toward someone far more important – Chloe.
Quickly thinking of the petite blonde he had just seen in the store, Whitney rushed back inside to find her still standing at the check-out register- holding her basket of items, looking both scared and confused as she watched the tornado through the large glass windows at the front of the store.
For a split second Whitney thought of how small and fragile she looked. And scared. The look on her face reminded him of a little girl who had been frightened by something, a scary movie or a monster under her bed.
Only Chloe wasn't a little girl, and there were no monsters under her bed. The only monster around was a damn big tornado headed straight for them, and Whitney knew that he had to do everything in his power to protect Chloe from harm.
"Hey Sullivan….give me your hand…leave it!" Whitney all but yelled the words, grabbing her small hand in his own, making her throw down her basket as he pulled her roughly behind him, knowing that they only had seconds before the worst was upon them.
"Get down," Whitney ordered, pulling her behind a large display of kitchen utensils, out of the direct path of the large glass windows.
As Chloe crouched on the floor, Whitney wrapped his arms around her tightly, placing his head on hers, using his whole body to shelter her from danger.
Just in time, as the force of the tornado bursts through the windows, sending glass and debris flying into the store, the strong winds knocking over display cases and seemingly shaking the entire building.
Whitney felt Chloe shaking in his arms, her nails biting into the skin of his forearms as she held on tightly to him. Whitney quickly tightened his hold on her, instinctively trying to let her know that it was going to be okay. Letting her know that he would never let anything happen to her.
The roar of the tornado was deafening, but Whitney was certain that he heard her sobbing, the sound causing something inside him to ache as he pressed his cheek tighter against her head, again pulling her even closer to his body.
It seemed like it lasted for hours, but in reality it was over in a matter of seconds – the monster leaving as quickly as it arrived, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
Whitney loosened his hold on Chloe, but not letting go as he turned to look around, making sure that the threat was truly gone.
"You okay?" she nodded quickly, a jerky shake of her head.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Y-yeah," she stuttered, unsure of herself. She hated being this way, but she'd always been terrified of storms.
Whitney slowly lowered his arms from around her as he stood on shaky legs, reaching back down to help her stand as he watched her struggle to stand on her own. Her nervousness was apparent through her jerky actions. The storm had definitely given her a scare. Whitney could feel her heart rate beating out of control as he held onto her slender wrist, turning her toward him.
Tears.
That was the first thing he noticed as she looked up at him. Chloe was crying – or had been. It was apparent that she was trying to get herself under control now, but Whitney could see the tracks of her tears on her white cheeks.
The sight was enough to almost do him in. Tears were bad on anyone, but on Chloe Sullivan they were doubly bad. The sight sent another ache to his chest – the second ache in a matter of minutes.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, instantly regretting the harsh sound of his voice. He didn't mean to sound so rough, but the sight of her scared and crying was unsettling.
"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," she repeated, wiping her hands over her face. She looked up at him with a look that he couldn't read – part fear and part gratitude. The gratitude part scaring him a hell of a lot more than the fear.
"Come here," he murmured, pulling her closer, and once again wrapping his arms around her. This time for comfort instead of protection, noticing how good she felt pressed against his body.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Whitney knew that much. He was supposed to be with Lana and Chloe, well she was with Kent, wasn't she? But the little blonde tucked up in his arms felt so natural it made him a little lightheaded just to consider the consequences.
Whitney knew that this was an experience that he would not soon forget. He and Chloe had survived a monster, and whether she realized it or not – that was a big deal. He knew that he wouldn't be forgetting the feel of her in his arms, his body wrapped around her much smaller one, anytime soon.
Whitney rubbed his hands up and down her back, trying to soothe Chloe like he would a small child, once again reminded of her big eyes looking scared, much like a little girl.
"It's okay now, Sullivan," he pulled back to look down at her, giving her a small smile.
He felt like he'd been slugged in the stomach when she lifted her head to meet his gaze, a beautiful smile on her sweet face, "Yeah it is. Because of you."
Whitney could feel his face becoming warm as his arms unconsciously tightened around her, and she was looking at him with a look of pure adoration – a look that he sure didn't deserve, but that he thoroughly enjoyed receiving from her. This girl definitely had a hero complex, he thought to himself, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing.