Smallville/The 4400 Crossover

Pairing: Clark Kent/Shawn Farrell

The 4400 and its characters are copyrighted by American Zoetrope. Smallville is copyrighted by DC Comics and Tollin/Robbins Productions. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sometimes Clark felt like a hypocrite. Today was one of those times. Times like this when he and Shawn would grab their gear and head out under the open sky, pitch tents and lay out on their sleeping bags and talk. After months of working on the Kent farm, Clark still knew very little about the blond teen he’d picked up hitchhiking along the road.

Naturally, Lex had been suspicious of him and no doubt began investigating Shawn the minute Clark introduced him to his former lover. Whether out of concern for Clark or jealousy, Clark couldn’t hazard a guess. All he knew was that a few days ago, Lex had handed him a dossier on his new friend. Clark hadn’t bothered to read it, but the cryptic conversation turned argument he had with Lex, led him to believe there was something in the file that might be damaging.

Clark chided himself for not destroying the file. He hated the small knowing smirk on Lex’s face when he left with said file in tow. It was just a matter of time before he opened the thick manila folder. He wondered if Lex had such a folder on him as well.

“Penny for your thoughts,” the silky voice next to him all but whispered.

“It’s nothing,” Clark lied.

“Must be something. You’ve been lost in thought every since you visited your ‘friend’ a few days ago.”

Clark shifted on his sleeping bag, turning on his side to face Shawn. “That obvious?”

“Mmm hmm. What happened? A lover’s quarrel?”

Clark flinched at those words.

“Why would you say that?” he asked defensively.

Shawn rolled over to face the brunette beside him. “Well…I know he doesn’t like me. And the only reason I can gather is because I live with you.”

Clark refused to confirm or deny any of Shawn’s suspicions. Instead he offered to pop popcorn over the campfire.

“Is that why you aren’t together anymore?”

“Is that why who isn’t together?”

Shawn laughed. “You and Lex. Was your inability to come out of the closet the reason you and Lex are not together anymore.”

“Who said I was in the closet or that Lex and I were ever together.”

“You did, when you offered me popcorn instead of answering my question.”

“How about you answer some questions for a change.” Clark felt his temper flaring.

“Okay, shoot.” Shawn was enjoying watching Clark squirm about his sexuality.

“Who are you really and what are you running away from?” Clark regretted the words the moment he uttered them.

Shawn bounded from his sleeping bag and headed for the tent.

“I’ll pass on the popcorn. Goodnight Clark.”

“Shawn,” Clark called after his friend, scrambling to his feet to go after him. By the time he entered the tent, Shawn was huddled on the hard ground, his knees pulled up to his chest. “Shawn, I’m sorry. Yes Lex and I had an affair and yes I suspect he is jealous of you and it’s none of my business why you’re here,” he blurted out without taking a breath.

Shawn didn’t want to smile, but looking up into Clark’s puppy dog eyes just begging for forgiveness, he couldn’t help himself. Adorable wasn’t a word Shawn would normally associate with a six foot plus teen. But that was the word that often came to mind when Shawn was with Clark.

“Bring our sleeping bags in and I’ll forgive you.”

Clark bounded out of the tent, relieved that he hadn’t messed up this friendship so soon. The two arranged the sleeping bags side by side. They stripped off their boots and jeans. Clark wore long johns beneath his clothes while Shawn had opted for sweats.

They had settled into their respective sleeping bags when Shawn whispered. “I was in love with my cousin.”

At first Clark didn’t know what the blond was talking about. As if Shawn understood that he clarified his statement. “I left because of him, among other things.

“Oh,” Clark nodded his understanding in the dark.

“Oh?” Shawn answered bemused. “For over three months, you’ve been trying to find out more about me. No doubt you’re ex has probably had me investigated. And now when I open up to you all you can say is ‘Oh?’

Clark reached for his flashlight and turned it on. He wanted to know if the anger in Shawn’s voice had reached his face. Shawn tried maintaining his look of indignation, but without success. The two teens burst out laughing. When Clark regained his composure, he managed to explain himself.

“You have to understand that in Smallville your revelation is small potatoes compared to other stuff that happens around here.”

“If that’s true, how come you and Lex didn’t stay together?”

Shawn watched Clark still. The lighthearted moment they shared had passed as quickly as it came.

“Clark… you don’t…”

“It’s okay. I’ve never really had anyone to talk about this with. We kept too many things from each other. Especially me. It drove him crazy and us apart.”

“What deep dark secrets could a farm boy from Kansas have?” Shawn tried to joke.

“Too many,” Clark said. His eyes pleaded with Shawn to drop the subject. Shawn obliged.

“Turn off the flashlight. Let’s get some sleep.”

It was at that moment that Clark made up his mind. He would destroy the file and mind his business. If Shawn wanted to reveal more about himself, he would. He couldn’t ask Shawn to do more than he was willing to do himself.

As he drifted off to sleep on phrase danced around in Clark’s mind and brought hope to Clark for the first time in a long time

“I was in love with my cousin.” Clark hadn’t bothered to ask if this cousin was male or female.

“Too many secrets,” Clark sighed as he rolled over and tried to get some sleep.