Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Story Disclaimer and A/N: I don't own Deus Ex: Human Revolution. If I did, I wouldn't need to write fanfiction (and these two would have been a couple in the game). I have tried to keep everything canon compliant, so if I've gotten anything flat-out wrong and/or impossible, kindly inform me. This story has been altered since its original posting; I rewrote some parts to make them less confusing and tried to perfect the grammar. If you point out those mistakes (in a kind way, please), I will learn more and become a better writer. However, keep in mind that some breaks from grammatical rules were implemented purposely for artistic license. Thank you!

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Adam sighed, leaning back in his chair. Here he was again, back at Sarif Industries as if nothing had happened during these last seven months. Visions of the events flashed behind his closed eyes, almost all of them unpleasant. Not wanting to depress himself, he instead thought Michelle Walthers, the woman who'd saved his life. The security chief had recently developed a habit of spending his nights there, from the time he got off work until seven or eight P.M. After everything that had happened, she was the one person in his life that he felt completely comfortable around, and she seemed to enjoy the company.

Jensen didn't hate Megan and had extended his forgiveness to her, but that didn't mean he would voluntarily spend time around her, wherever she'd gone since leaving Sarif Industries. That kind of betrayal just made it clear that it was right for them to have broken up in the first place. Sure, he'd probably always care about her, but at least he wasn't in love with her anymore. That was a relief.

Sarif hadn't changed. The CEO was immensely happy that his security dog had followed his orders on Panchea, and business was better than ever. Not that Adam had felt good about the choice. He'd only done it because the other three choices were even worse. Turn humanity off of technology that could save lives, especially now that the research on his DNA could make Neuropozyne unnecessary? Put augmentation regulations into the hands of corrupt legislators? Blow himself and everyone in the facility up for the sake of leaving behind a mystery? Yeah, right, those were solutions. The best he could hope for was creating a world where people used augmentation technology for healing people, not destroying them.

"Jensen," Pritchard's voice blared through his infolink, causing the cyborg to jump a little, "where are you? You're late."

Shit, Adam cursed to himself. In an effort to increase security after the incident seven months ago, Sarif had required him to meet with Pritchard daily. The two had protested the increased contact between them, but weren't given a choice. The boss insisted that had the two worked together more, the attack would have never taken place. That the two needed each other as a system of checks and balances. It usually came off more like two rivals trying to one-up each other and point out the other's flaws, but security had gotten better.

"I'm on my way, Francis," he responded, running out the door towards the other man's office. When he got within Pritchard's line of sight, he slowed, trying to give the impression that he hadn't needed the reminder and really had been heading over when the hacker called. "You sounded awfully concerned, Francis. Miss me?" the cyborg snarked as he stepped into the computer technician's office.

"Funny, Jensen. Let's get this over with. I'd like to get out of here, not sit around and wait for you to show." Frank pulled up the usual chair next to his own for his co-worker to use.

Sitting down, the security chief snorted. "What, do you have a date?"

To Adam's surprise, the man's cheeks turned a faint red. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"You do? You have a date? Did your mom set you up, or something?"

The tech ignored him, struggling to keep the interaction professional. "I really don't have anything to report for today. I saw no suspicious activity. Is there anything on your end?"

The cyborg bit his lip. There really wasn't anything, but... "Well, I don't know. It's probably nothing."

"Christ, Jensen. It's that kind of thinking, by me, too, I'll admit, that allowed the massacre to happen. We can't ignore any possibilities, no matter how small," the pony-tailed man leaned forward, eyes intent.

I'm an asshole. I'm an asshole. I'm an asshole. "I, uh, I noticed some Neuropozyne missing from the stores. It was probably just a miscalculation. Even if it weren't, it's not that big of a deal. I'll investigate it more myself."

Frank shook his head. "We'll investigate it now, together. No more security breaches. No one, not even Sarif, will pull one over on us again." Caustic as their relationship currently was, it was a far cry from being as bad as when Frank attempted to undermine the ex-cop's job, solving the Neuropozyne issue without him.

I'm sitting here lying to him, using his fear to make him stay at work and worry about our safety. I'm an asshole. "You have a date, Pritchard. I'll take care of it," Adam attempted to dissuade his coworker.

"Let me be clear: I don't trust you to be perfect, Jensen. That's why Sarif paired us-- to check each other. We're going down there. Both of us. People's lives are more important than a date."

The cyborg didn't speak, feeling put to shame by the tech's dedication.

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Two Hours Later

"It looks like you did just miscalculate, Jensen. There's nothing out of place. In fact, we have a little more Neuropozyne than we ought to. That's actually a little disconcerting, so I'm going to note it in the computer."

The security head still felt like crap. "Yeah. I'm sorry I made you come down here for nothing. Apologize to your date for me."

Frank gifted him with a rare smile. "Don't be worrying about my love life, Jensen."

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Adam arrived at Michelle's around 6:00, glum that he'd missed out on valuable time with the woman. Knocking on the door, he let himself in to find her sitting in her usual spot on the couch.

"Oh, why hello, I was sure hoping my dinner would arrive soon! I'm starting to get a little tired." The woman smiled warmly, as if she were happy just to see the ex-cop and the meal was secondary.

"Hello, Miss Walthers. I'll have your dinner ready in a moment. What sounds good tonight?"

She crinkled her brow in concentration. "I think I'd like a nice salad. I've got to keep my girlish figure," the woman chuckled.

Adam nodded, then headed into the kitchen to start cooking. He'd just rinsed the lettuce when she came through the doorway.

"What's your name, honey?"

His facial muscles gently tugged his lips upward. "Adam."

She came a little closer, watching him slice a tomato and a pepper with seeming interest. "I knew an Adam, once. He was a sweet little boy. So smiley and interested in the world. I'm not sure what happened to him."

"He sounds like a good kid," the ex-SWAT answered, used to the awkwardness of the situation and focused more on dinner.

"I know he grew up to be a good man, too." Adam resisted the urge to hug her. "Adam," she said, changing the subject, "you look sad. What's wrong?"

He glanced over at her, surprised. "I'm fine, Miss Walthers." The security chief grated cheese over the meal.

She tut tutted. "Lying's a sin, hon. I can tell when somebody's sad. I can also tell that it's love troubles."

The cyborg almost spit out the water he'd just sipped. "Love troubles?"

Michelle's face contorted to a knowing look. "I know it's love troubles. Once you admit it to yourself, it's easy enough to deal with. Just tell her you're in love with her. I promise you, it'll all work out." The elderly woman exited the kitchen, salad in hand, leaving her dinner guest frozen in his tracks.

Chapter Text

It felt like deja vu. There he was, relaxing at his workstation with no idea of the time, when Pritchard's voice came over the infolink. "You're late again, Jensen," came the simple chide.

"I'm right around the corner, just hold on a second," the cyborg muttered, running as fast as he could toward the computer technician's office.

Frank took one look at the security chief as he arrived, and scoffed. "Liar. I saw the footage of you in your office." Adam smirked.

"I know you like watching me when I'm alone, but it's a bad habit, Francis." The brown-haired man pulled his usual chair next to the tech. "Hey, what's that?" he pointed at a folder on Frank's screen.

Pritchard covered it with another window. "Nothing, Jensen."

"It said 'The Tech and the Mech.' Hey, is that our team name?"

The skinnier man rolled his eyes, a blush creeping up the sides of his face. "It's just a folder for keeping things we work on organized. You don't need to make such a big deal about it."

Adam got quiet, which gave the pony-tailed man a chance to get down to business. "It turns out it was a good thing we searched the Neuropozyne stores yesterday. Knowing you'd be late," the ex-cop pointedly ignored the insult, "I had time to go down there again myself earlier today. It's back to the levels it was supposed to be at last night. Someone's making too much, not recording it, and stealing it."

"Did you check the security footage to see who it was?" the heavily augmented man asked.

The tech sighed. "That's just it. Someone must have tampered with it, because there's nothing. Take a look for yourself, Jensen. I'll send you the files and you can review them."

"I think I'll stage a little stakeout, tonight, and see what I find." Despite the severity of the situation, Adam smiled. It had been dull around Sarif Industries as of late.

Frank nodded. "Good. I hope you'll be okay by yourself, because I've got to be going,” he glanced at the clock on his screen, “right about now."

"Another date?" Wait, did he just twinge in jealousy? No, that would be stupid. Michelle's words rang in the cyborgs head, despite the fact that he tried to shove them away.

The raven-haired man looked down, not acknowledging the question.

The cyborg stood, taking that as his cue to leave. "Alright, Pritchard. I'll get back to you tomorrow. And just so you know... I... like the team name you gave us." As he turned the corner just then, he saw Francis' head pop up and stare at him quizzically.

After a short trip to the water fountain, he started heading back to his office. But at the sight of the tech heading down the stairs toward the exit, he stopped. Then, suddenly, something pulled him to follow.

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What the fuck are you doing, Jensen? He chastised himself, but couldn't stop following the other man. Why are you following him on a date? You should be doing your damn job. Or even going over to Michelle's. What's wrong with you?

The ex-cop ducked behind a box when Frank turned around, and the tech entered a restaurant.

And where are you supposed to hide in there, you damn, huge robot? Adam thought, trying to stop himself from what he was doing.

He heard Michelle Walthers' words again. And again. Until...

Fuck, no, I am NOT in love with Francis Wendell Pritchard!

But the thought had already occurred that he was, and he couldn't peacefully delude himself any longer. This is stupid. No. No. He walked, not realizing where he was going. The security chief stepped inside the building the raven-haired man had just entered.

"Jensen?" came the confused voice of his co-worker.

Jensen turned right around and walked back out. He didn't know where he was going, just away.

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"Oh, honey, you're here to make my dinner? You're such a dear."

The cyborg blinked a few times, just becoming aware of his surroundings. "Miss Walthers," he started.

She smiled warmly. "Did you take care of your love troubles, Adam?"

He looked at her in surprise. "You remember that? You remember my name?"

"Why, of course, Adam! Now, tonight, I think I'd like some nice spaghetti."

The ex-SWAT nodded, heading into the kitchen. "You told me to tell the person that I loved them," he said, conversationally. "There's no way that's going to work. They have zero romantic interest in me."

Michelle leaned on the door frame to the room. "It'll work out, Adam. Trust me."

Chapter Text

At eleven forty-eight p.m., Jensen wanted to stretch. It had been hours since he'd hidden behind this damn box. His back was sore, but he couldn't do anything besides continue to watch for suspicious activity. If he stretched, someone would know he was there. He couldn't make any noises, and he couldn't even pull out a handheld gaming device to amuse himself. Even one in the privacy of his own head would be too distracting; he didn't want to miss the moment and have to stage yet another stakeout. These boring, unglamorous parts of his job were never talked about, but they were probably the hardest.

He sat there because it was his job to sit there. And he couldn't stop mulling over his embarrassment at Pritchard having seen him. At least he hadn't blurted out anything stupid to the tech. Michelle was completely wrong about this. Sad, that her rare moments of clarity were just spent giving bad love advice to a security robot.

Just as he suppressed a yawn, he saw a man coming. The ex-cop stiffened. Brian Fucking Tindall. It just goes to show that when you let someone off the hook, they'll go back to whatever they were doing wrong. Hadn't he been fired a long time ago? Adam watched, disgusted, as he witnessed the man simply leaving with a box of the supplies. With his augmented eyes, the cyborg recorded the instance and sent it to Pritchard, marking it urgent with a note to call immediately. Awkward or not, he needed to talk with him before taking action.

The tech responded almost immediately. Had he been checking his email right then or had he programmed urgent messages to give him instant notification? Was he at home or out with...? No, Adam didn't want to think about that. "Jensen, I just watched the video,” his colleauge interrupted his thoughts, “I think we need a little more proof, but now we know where to get it. Get back to me when you can, okay? I'll be waiting."

"Pritchard, wait. I need to talk to you."

Adam heard him sigh, and Frank let him worry for a few moments before responding. "Alright, Jensen. Meet me where you followed me earlier tonight." The infolink crackled with the sound of hanging up before the cyborg could question the location.

The restaurant was closed, but the computer technician led the brunet to the 24-hour cafe next door. They ordered before sitting awkwardly at a table until Adam broke the silence.

"How did you know I wanted to meet you in person?"

The pony-tailed man shrugged. "If you had wanted to talk over the infolink, you wouldn't have asked to talk to me,” he downed half his mug. “You'd have just said what you wanted to say. Plus, I needed coffee before dealing with anything work-related. I want to be alert and thinking clearly."

Nodding, the ex-SWAT took a sip of his beverage. "Thanks, Francis. I mean, Pritchard. And before it's too weird to bring it up, I'm sorry that I was at the restaurant earlier."

"Yes, what was that? Why did you just walk out?" the tech inclined his head with interest.

Adam felt his face flush with heat. "I, uh, didn't want you to think I was following you."

"Were you? Following me?"

The cyborg looked into his cup, not wanting to answer.

"My date didn't show, by the way. Payback for the night before, I suppose," Frank said.

Adam glanced up, annoyed with himself that the tech's words made him happy. "I'm sorry."

The pony-tailed man let out a short laugh. "No, you're not."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not sorry that my date didn't show."

Could he know? "Well, not really, no," the ex-cop admitted with a sheepish grin.

Pritchard rolled his eyes, "You're such an ass, Jensen." But he was smiling, and there was none of his usual bite.

Oh, he just thinks I'm being a jerk. Nothing more. Adam's smile turned half-hearted, and he looked off toward something that wasn't his co-worker. "Anyway, Pritchard, I don't know why I wanted to tell you this, but I think I made a mistake. Back when everything was going on with uncovering all of those conspiracies, you know, I stumbled upon the knowledge that Tindall had been stealing Neuropozyne. He promised me he'd perform his, what I believed at the time, 'charity work' by the book from then on. I didn't turn him in, and now I feel like a partner to the crime. If I do now, and he tells Sarif..." The security head trailed off, and Frank stayed silent for a few moments.

"I think if you explain this to Sarif, he'll understand. Just tell him that you didn't think he needed to be bothered with it before, because you thought you'd handled it. Get the rest of the proof you need and talk to Sarif before Tindall has the chance to do anything," he replied, eventually.

Adam nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry, again. I don't know why I'm treating you like my confidant." Well, I DO know why, actually, a nagging inner voice of self-honesty harassed him.

Frank gave him a quizzical look. "I don't know why either, Jensen. With the security I assigned to that one woman's apartment a few weeks ago, it seems to be becoming a habit." He paused. "But, I don't mind it."

Chapter Text

Adam felt happy, which he hadn't felt in quite a long time. He wasn't exactly sure what to do with the emotion and was embarrassed by it, anyway, so he just tried to ignore it. All he said was he didn't mind. Not even that he enjoyed it. What's there to be happy about? His dreams-- during the three hours of sleep he managed to get that night-- had been more peaceful than they'd been for a long time, which just annoyed him more. You know, when Pritchard pulls away from you and you go back to how things were, you're just going to be unhappy again and have even worse dreams. He sarcastically thanked his inner voice for stating the obvious, and turned his focus to the skyscraper in front of him.

First, he had to get proof. Then, he had to talk to Sarif. He wasn't looking forward to the latter task, but at least thinking about his job allowed him to stop being so baselessly happy.

Entering the building, he said his usual 'hello's' to the morning administration. According to the front desk, Tindall'd been re-hired-- was Sarif that desperate for employees? Well, maybe most people didn't relish the thought of working somewhere where several people had been murdered in the last year. The ex-cop walked purposefully to Tindall's office, flipping through the asshole's personnel file. Knowing the man would not be in for at least another hour, he began hacking the door. After completing this with ease, the brunet slid into the computer chair to work on accessing the man's emails. Adam slipped each incriminating exchange on to a USB drive, except for one.

Yeah, Jensen bought the 'charity work' excuse. We don't have to worry.

-Brian

He stared at the words, angry not just at Tindall for having taken advantage of him, but at himself for letting it happen. Was he really getting soft on criminals? Was he the kind of security that people only made fun of? Silently, the cyborg vowed to never let this happen again. Deciding full transparency with his boss would help his case, he dragged the email to the USB's folder before removing the device. Pritchard was probably right; Sarif would understand. The man may be loose with his morals, but he was generally nice.

"Pritchard," he said through his infolink, "I know it's early and you might be sleeping in today, but I wanted to let you know that I got the evidence. I'm headed up to talk to Sarif right now."

The tech groaned, sounding as if he'd just awoken. Adam had to duck behind a box and get a hold of himself as images of the other man moaning in bed filled his mind. A stray thought flashed by of his own voice being what Pritchard heard first thing every morning. He shook his head, trying to calm down and think un-sexy thoughts. He couldn't walk into the CEO's office with a boner.

"Adam," came the sleepy voice. Since when had the pony-tailed man used his first name when addressing him? "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll see you in an hour." The link crackled as he hung up.

The cyborg took a few calming breaths, stood, and headed towards Sarif's office.

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"Adam," Sarif started, nowhere near as sexy as Francis sounded using his name, "I have to say I'm disappointed that you didn't come to me in the first place. We've got to stick together, Adam, for the good of this company and all of our safety." The man paced as he spoke. "I understand why you did it, but next time, come to me with information like that."

The ex-SWAT nodded. "Yes, boss, I will. I'll never make this mistake again, even if I am juggling world conspiracies alongside it."

The CEO smiled, either taking Adam at his word or ignoring the sarcasm. "Alright, Son. I'll deal with the situation from here. Let me know if you find any other security breaches." Just as the cyborg moved to turn around, Sarif continued. "Oh, by the way, how are the meetings with Frank going?"

Well, I'd like to shove him against the wall and fuck him until he can't form proper sentences. Adam coughed. "We've come to an understanding, and the meetings have actually been pleasant. I think you made a good decision forcing us into this- if not for Pritchard's paranoia, we never would have looked into the missing Neuropozyne." That I made up without any prior knowledge, because I wanted to keep him from his date. Shut up, he said to his inner voice.

"I'm glad to hear that, Adam. Keep up the good work."

"Take care, Boss," the security head exited the room and got into the nearest elevator.

The ex-cop shook his head as he leaned against the side of the structure. "I really have to get a hold of myself," he muttered. Or, you could just listen to Michelle and end your self-induced torment of wondering if this relationship would work or not.

He exited on the level with Pritchard's office, heading there without really thinking about it.

"Jensen," the tech greeted him from behind, "how did it go with Sarif?"

"Not bad-" The two attempted to go through the doorway to the office at the same time, and the contact of Pritchard's thigh with his own caused his breath to hitch. The tech tripped, and against his own will, Adam's arms reached out and steadied the man. The ex-cop held him, the tech's leg still against his own. Frank's eyes met Adam's, and two silent seconds passed before the cyborg lost what little control he had left and pushed his confidant against the wall, pressing his lips firmly but tenderly against his.

Adam's co-worker stayed still in shock, and those few moments were all it took for the cyborg to realize that he had just forcefully assaulted the computer technician. The security chief pulled back, disgusted with himself. "God, Pritchard. Shit. I'm sorry," Jensen said frantically before practically running out of the room.

Passing the front desk, he called to the woman behind it. "I'm taking the rest of the day off."

Chapter Text

Jensen sat on the couch next to Michelle Walthers, sipping the tea she'd made him. After all, it had been her words that set this...situation...off with Pritchard in the first place.

"Look at it this way, honey. You didn't wait for her reaction after you kissed her. For all you know, she might have liked it," the elderly woman soothed, rubbing the ex-cop's back.

The cyborg sighed, a mix of emotions swirling through his mind. Happy that the woman cared to comfort him, but upset with the incident and the lack of having anybody else to turn to. It felt kind of pathetic. "You're so much like my mother."

Michelle smiled. "Where is your mother, Adam?"

"She died."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sweetie. How did it happen?"

Adam debated about what to tell her, and settled on the truth. "My birth mother died in a fire, and my adopted mother from heart disease."

The old woman looked at him as if she were seeing a ghost. "Adam...Jensen?"

Reluctantly, he nodded.

"But how are you so old, now?" She touched his face. "And what happened to you?"

"Miss Walthers," he said, carefully, "it's 2027, and I was born in 1993. I'm thirty-four."

Michelle stared into his eyes, running her fingers through his hair. "Thirty-four..."

He nodded, letting her take the information in for a few moments. "I look like this because I was in a very bad accident. The doctors had to replace parts of me just to save my life."

"Why are you here, Adam?"

His eyes conveyed confusion to her. "I thought I had no family left, and when I found out what you did for me, I wanted to get to know you."

The woman nodded, and the two sipped their hot drinks in silence for a while.

"Tell me more about this girl you like," she requested, easing the quiet tension.

The cyborg blushed a little, looking away. "In the spirit of honesty... the person I like is male."

"Oh," she said simply, waiting for him to continue.

"We've worked together for a while now. Mostly, we just argue, but he's a good person. I don't know, maybe it's because it feels like he's one of the few people who haven't used me-- you know all about how White Helix wanted my DNA. I've had one serious relationship, and it turned out she just wanted my genes to advance her career. I think she felt bad about what she did, but I also thought she loved me, so I'm not too sure what to make of my judgement, anymore. I think Pritchard's different. He cares about what happens to me, not just if I do my job right. He can be a pain, but he backs me up whenever I really need it. At first, I thought that maybe I only liked him because he treated me like a human being, but so do you and my friend Malik."

Michelle rubbed his back, smiling comfortingly. "Oh, Adam, you need to tell him these things. I'm sure after all the heartache in your life, you don't want to take anymore risks with your emotions, but you'll regret it if you don't. Thank you for trusting me with your feelings, Adam. I've always cared a lot about you; I hope you know that."

He nodded and hugged her carefully. "Thank you, Miss Walthers."

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"Jensen," Frank's quiet voice carried through his infolink around three p.m., "I know you left work early, but we still need to meet and discuss security. I'm on my way to your apartment."

The cyborg heard the familiar sound of the computer tech hanging up and, with an agonized groan, put his head in his hands. "Shit," he muttered.

About half an hour later he was answering the door for his colleague. Pritchard shifted around nervously before stepping inside.

"The couch is over there, if you'd like to sit," the ex-cop gestured to the furniture. The two plunked themselves down as far away as they could from each other, and Adam took a deep breath, ready to repent for his inexcusable actions. "I'm sorry for what I did, Pritchard."

The tech looked at him, something flaming behind his eyes that made the security chief wish he were somewhere safer, like Panchea overrun with hallucinating, augmented people. "It caught me off guard."

"I know, and I'm sorry-"

The raven-haired man cut him off. "I didn't say I didn't like it, just that I wasn't expecting it," his words came out quickly, as if he'd lose the courage to say them if he wasn't fast enough. "I thought about it a lot before contacting you, and at first I was angry. How dare you assume that I would want to kiss you?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Shut up, Jensen, and let me finish." The cyborg closed his mouth. "And then I thought about how even if I had wanted a relationship with you, that was a horrible first kiss! It was rude. You assaulted me! You didn't care what I wanted, and if you had just given me the chance to make that choice on my own, maybe I would've kissed you back, not that my decision should matter when it comes to consent. I deserve better, and if we're going to do this... whatever it is... have a romantic encounter, I expect you to do it right. I expect for you to show me some basic human decency. I expect a better first kiss. Right now, Jensen."

Adam blinked, hardly believing his ears. Cautiously, he scooted closer to the tech. He'd never been this nervous about kissing somebody, but it had practically been demanded of him. That was Pritchard, for you. Slowly, fearful that the other man might reject him and/or tell him it was all a joke, the ex-SWAT turned to face him, pulling the pony-tailed man by his shoulder and waist into a more accessible position. He carefully dipped his head, sliding his hands up to cup the tech's face. Flicking his eyes to Pritchard's first for silent confirmation, he closed the distance and kissed the other man gently, unhurried.

This time, Frank returned the kiss, placing his arms around Adam, pressing up against him. The computer technician lay back into a half-sitting, half-lying down position on the armrest, pulling the other man with him without allowing their lips to part. Feeling the increased intimacy, Jensen kissed him more forcefully, his grip tightening.

Pritchard returned the gesture and opened his mouth in invitation to the cyborg. Their tongues met, sliding across each other in mutual exploration, getting them lost in the sensation of each other.

It was Frank who regained his composure first, slowing the kisses and raising a hand to the ex-cop's hair, ruffling through it gently, enjoying the moment. Adam took the cue and stopped to simply stroke his partner's cheek softly with a thumb. Reluctantly, he pulled back several seconds later.

"Did that measure up to your expectations, Francis?" he said with a small smile.

The tech grinned with satisfaction. "I may need another demonstration before I can be sure."

Chapter Text

"While I'd be happy to continue, didn't you come over here for a reason?" the brunet smirked.

Frank gave him a look of slightly amused annoyance. "My security data shows no cause for concern. And you ought to know by now that our meeting today was just a pretense, so stop being an ass." Standing up, he began straightening his jacket. "But I understand that some men like to save their virtue for marriage. If that's the case, I ought to go before I do something you'll regret." The computer technician had hardly started for the door before an augmented hand reached out and pulled him back down. Pritchard fell off balance, which would normally have been disconcerting, but the cyborg's arms easily lifted and set the raven-haired man on his lap.

The two locked eyes. "Actually," Adam said huskily, "I'm quite interested in finding out what you were planning to do that I might regret."

With impressive strength for his size and lack of enhanced muscles, the tech suddenly seized Jensen by the shoulders and shoved him down on the seat of the sofa. Wordlessly, he undid the cyborgs pants and yanked them lower. The boxers soon followed, just enough to free the other man's hardened cock.

Adam gasped as Pritchard's wet, warm mouth encapsulated his entire member. Because it was Frank Pritchard, whom he had been lusting after wildly, he knew the mental gratification would cause him to finish sooner than he'd normally like, but he didn't care. He was just too happy. The tech's tongue slid back and forth on his shaft as he bobbed up and down on it lazily. The teasing speed was too much for the cyborg, who began moving his hips in an attempt to fuck the technician's mouth faster. Frank complied with the ex-SWAT's silent plea, increasing his speed, taking Jensen's thick cock down his throat completely on each stroke.

The cyborg moaned, grasping the nearest cushions as he lay helpless against the immense pleasure. His breathing quickened and he shut his eyes to focus only on the sensation of Pritchard's sucking, licking, and mouthfucking. His hips lifted, wanting more and more.

"Oh, God, Pritchard. I want... I need...” he realized he was likely incoherent, “I'm going to cum. Fuck!"

With three more strokes, Adam gasped and groaned in pleasure, shooting his load into Frank's mouth. Pritchard swallowed it greedily, sucking Jensen's cock for every last drop.

Softly sighing, the tech pulled his lips away and moved to drape himself over the ex-cop. The two laid in silence, the cyborg gently stroking Pritchard's back underneath his shirt.

After a while, when Adam could finally form words again, he smiled. "I don't think I could ever regret something like that when it comes to you, Francis."

"Enjoyed it, did you, Jensen?"

The brunet breathed deeply, feeling more satisfied than he had in years. "You'd know better than anyone."

The tech blushed slightly at that and burrowed his head under the security chief's chin. Several moments passed before either said anything again.

"Jensen?" the raven-haired man prodded quietly.

"Yes?"

Frank swallowed nervously. "Is what you want with me... an actual relationship?"

The cyborg's heart sped up. Does he want one? Is that why he's asking? Or what if he's asking because he doesn't? What would I do if that's the case? Mistaking the quiet for denial, the tech tried to cover his vulnerability. "I mean, if you don't, I... I'd understand. I just want to know, Jensen."

"Pritchard, I don't know what you want, but I can tell you that if you did want a real relationship, well, that's what I want," Adam answered awkwardly. "I mean, I'd get it if you don't, but..."

"No, Jensen. I do want it. I just, you know, didn't want to pressure you," he said quickly, relieved.

Adam stroked the other man's hair, slightly massaging his scalp. "Yeah, Pritchard, I feel the same way. I guess we were both worried we'd get rejected."

The tech smiled, closing his eyes.

"Francis," the ex-SWAT murmured, "will you go on a date with me tonight?"

Chapter Text

It was awkward, to say the least, to be on a date with the computer technician. To make matters even more uncomfortable, they were seated at the restaurant where Jensen had followed him the day he'd stupidly walked in. The cyborg had chosen the location to force himself to get over the embarrassment of what he'd done there. It was also, admittedly, a little satisfying to take the raven-haired man where the other date had not. Suppressing his nerves, Adam forced himself to lean forward and strike up a conversation.

"Have you eaten here many times before?"

Frank stopped fiddling with his utensils and looked up, glad for the distraction. "Yeah, usually I feel most comfortable here for that reason. Don't know why I'm not, now that it's you. It's not like I was nervous any of the other times I met someone here."

Jealousy flashed through the security chief. "Just how many dates have you had here?" Way to make the conversation weird, Jensen, his inner critic nagged.

"I... Not that many," the tech answered, his emotions shifting from slight guilt at having dated others to annoyance at his dinner partner for making him feel bad about it. After all, Jensen was no virgin either, and there was nothing wrong with having dated other people in the past. "And just how many people have you been with, hm? You don't fucking own me or my past."

The cyborg stared down at the table. "I deserve that. Sorry." If this was going to work, he needed to stop giving in to their old dynamics. No more antagonizing, he resolved. And none of this territorial shit, either, wherever that came from. Looking up, he caught Pritchard's gaze and smiled sheepishly. "Okay, new topic. What food do you suggest?"

Eyes softening, the pony-tailed man leaned over the table to point at an item on Adam's open menu. "The salmon's pretty good." The brunet's heart thumped faster at the closeness of his date. He had to keep himself from grabbing and kissing the tech right then. God, he needed to start thinking straight. Who knows how he feels about PDA?

It took all his concentration to keep his face straight and retain the gritty ex-cop demeanor. "Then I guess I'll get that," the cyborg said stiffly, trying to think of anything besides where the other man's soft, pink lips had been just half an hour ago.

"May I take your order, gentlemen?" came the voice of the waiter, causing the ex-cop to almost jump.

Frank smiled, already sitting back in his chair, relishing the effect he was having on his co-worker. "Yes, please. The usual for me.”

“And for you, Sir?” he glanced at the cyborg.

Adam felt the security tech's hand settle on his thigh. “Salmon,” he tried to say, his jaw and teeth clenched.

The poor waiter looked between the smirking, thin man and the glaring, augmented monster. Only his professionalism kept him from taking a step back. “I... didn't quite catch that... Sir?”

“Salmon,” the detective tried again.

“Sir?”

“He'll be having the salmon," Pritchard answered, finally taking pity on them both.

As the server hurriedly receded from the table, Jensen snatched up his ice water and chugged it.

"What are you smiling about, Francis?" prodded the heavily augmented man, using his sleeve to wipe the residue of the drink from his mouth.

The computer technician laughed quietly, bringing his offending hand back up where Adam could keep an eye on it. "I barely have to do anything and you get so worked up."

Adam glared, shifting uncomfortably. "So what?"

"I just find it... flattering, Jensen. That's all. It's not something I'm used to."

The cyborg's gaze became kinder. "That's surprising, since you seem to be so good at... working me up." Don't think about this afternoon don't think about this afternoon don't think about-

Pritchard ran a thumb over the tines of his fork. "Thanks," he replied softly.

Deciding it would probably be okay, the ex-SWAT took the tech's other hand into his own, and was satisfied when the raven-haired man did not pull away. "After dinner, would you like to come with me to Michelle Walthers' apartment? I normally spend a few hours there every night."

"The woman you had me send a security detail to protect? Who is she, Jensen?"

The brunet noticed Pritchard's tone take on a hint of worry, and quickly set the hacker straight. "She's an elderly woman. You know some of the stuff on my past... whatever you dug up when you were fixing Sarif Industries' back end. I'm not sure what all you found," he paused, gathering his thoughts. "She saved my life when I was an infant... when White Helix wanted to use me to inoculate another batch of babies. Two of the scientists started a fire to make sure I got out safely, and she took me and put me up for adoption. I've been getting to know her ever since I got back from Panchea."

Frank nodded in comprehension. "You really want me to meet her?"

"Well," Adam backpedaled, "if you think it's too soon for you to meet the closest person I have to family, don't worry about it. But I just figured I'd offer, since I don't plan to miss seeing her any day soon."

"No, I'd like to. I'm just surprised that you feel comfortable bringing me. I always pegged you for the type who takes relationships slow," the raven-haired man smiled, squeezing his date's hand affectionately.

Relieved, the cyborg continued. "I actually... told her about you. She kept telling me to just tell you that I love you, and I just would resist for some reason-" he froze, realizing that he'd revealed more than he ought to have.

"You... love me, Jensen?"

Shit, he's going to run off. I came on too strong. Why did I even bring up Michelle? What the hell is wrong with me?

"What? No... no, Francis, I'm just saying what she said to tell you. I didn't mean it like that," he rushed the words, panic rising.

The thinner man blinked a few times, but understood what his partner was trying to say. "Oh, okay. Don't worry, I didn't think you were in love with me or anything; that's why I was surprised to hear you say it."

Breathing a sigh of relief, the cyborg wondered why he simultaneously felt disappointed, knowing Pritchard thought he didn't love him.

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"Adam's a good boy. Always has been. You know, he's been heartsick about you for a while, now. I'm glad he finally did something about it," the elderly woman's face crinkled with fondness for the security chief.

Frank blushed slightly, but was glad to hear the cyborg really did like him, and it wasn't just a cruel joke after all. "Honestly, Miss Walthers, I never would have guessed."

She rubbed his shoulder in a grandmotherly way, then leaned in to whisper, "I don't think the boy's very good at flirting." Louder, she called to the augmented man in the kitchen, "how's that meatloaf coming, Adam?"

I'm sure she doesn't realize my hearing is augmented, but Francis should know better. "It's got about 10 minutes left in the oven, Miss Walthers," he answered dutifully.

He heard rustling and a softer whisper, but was unable to make it out this time. Suddenly, his co-worker's laughter rang out loudly through the apartment.

"Oh my God, Miss Walthers!"

"Yes!"

"Really?"

What the hell? The cyborg rushed in and barely held back a scream. In a strained voice, he managed to ask in an inside voice, "Are you showing my baby pictures, Miss Walthers?"

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A/N: I know this is a very "cute" and “emotional” chapter, but I think it's important that they work out their dynamics and set some boundaries before becoming more intimate. Also, I wanted to have some fun.

For all of Jensen's tough outer layer, I view his character as being very careful about who he lets his guard down with. He seems like someone that's pretty sensitive, and I'd type him as an INFJ (the goody goody way he can be played). I hear he's more of a ladies' man in the comics (and I recently read about some DLC or whatever where he and some woman named Katrina, I think, get close super quickly and both try to sacrifice themselves to save each other but only she succeeds. But... I'm not really including that in this story.), but from the original game, he just seems like the type that is very choosy about who he would be in a relationship with. Though, I suppose you can play him flirty, which is cool if you want to.

As much as he loved Megan, that love wasn't enough to keep them together, even before he found out she betrayed his trust. I also see him as being a caring boyfriend but having trouble expressing his feelings well. From what I gathered of Pritchard, he seems like he'd be a little emotionally smarter, when he can admit to what he's feeling. I also see him as demanding/firm about his needs and wants. The way he acted at the end of the game, he seemed genuinely worried when Adam was in danger, and was even willing to do things behind Sarif's back for him. I think he'd be good to whomever he dated, even if he pretended to be callous most of the time. Anyway, that's my reasoning for putting this kind of stuff into the story, not that anyone necessarily wanted to know.

Chapter Text

Relaxing on the couch later that night, the two men watched an old action flick. Frank played with a loose strand of the cyborg's shorts, debating whether or not he ought to spend the night. It seemed like that's where this was going-- it was already nine thirty. Fuck, he knew he wanted Jensen, but was it too soon? He hated the thought of becoming yet another person's one-night-stand. Would Jensen do that to him? Come to think of it, had Jensen ever been with a man? As far as Pritchard knew, Adam had been with Megan. Was his dating history all female? And what if he rejected Frank for coming on too strong?
Eyes fluttering closed, his sleepiness made the decision for him. The computer technician leaned his head on the cyborg's shoulder, shifting a bit to get more comfortable, and yawned.

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It wasn't until the movie ended that the ex-cop noticed his date was asleep. He smiled, sitting up to lay the raven-haired man down. Adam quietly grabbed a blanket from the closet and placed it over his companion.

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Pritchard stirred a few hours later, awoken by a stress dream. In a slight panic at his unfamiliar location, he looked around frantically before realizing where he was.

"Jensen," he blushed after stepping out of the bathroom a little later, coming face to face with his co-worker, "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

The security chief shrugged. "You're welcome here anytime, Francis." Adam groggily cupped the other man's cheek and gave him a soft kiss.

Grinning sleepily, it occurred to him what Jensen had just said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that's an invitation to live here," the tech remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe," the cyborg answered cryptically, maneuvering the tech back against the wall. Before the raven-haired man could inquire further, the ex-cop's lips had eagerly covered his own, tasting him hungrily, intensifying the moment. Frank succumbed, forgetting anything but the feel of the brunet's touch. The way their hands felt, sliding under each others shirts. Adam dropped his arms to encircle the computer technician's waist, pulling his middle closer.

Pritchard's breath hitched as he felt the larger man's hips press against his own, and leaned his head back to give Jensen access to his neck. Adam sucked the sensitive skin roughly, wanting to leave a mark that would later remind the hacker of this moment. His augmented hands seized the leaner man's shoulders, holding him possessively to take what he needed. As if Frank wouldn't give it to him. As if Frank could bear to push away the man he'd wanted to fuck since who knows when.

Clumsily, they found their way to the bed, where Adam pushed him down and pulled at the tech's jacket. Pritchard shrugged the garment off, and the cyborg then tugged at the other man's shirt. Jensen quickly removed Frank's pants and boxers, tossing the pile of clothes across the room. The thinner man would have been cold, but Adam was on top of him, his arms around him, as they kissed deeply. There was something arousing about the fact that Jensen was still clothed, and the tech wanted more, forgetting his earlier worries.

Adam sucked one of his own fingers, coating it in saliva, before using it to circle Pritchard's tight hole. Slowly, he slid the digit in, eliciting a moan from the smaller man. Feeling the entrance stretch as he moved in and out, he covered another finger and added it in. The augmented hands felt surprisingly good—not cold as Frank once thought they would be.

Three fingers in, and Pritchard's noises were affecting the ex-cop too much. Jensen swiftly undid his pants, letting his throbbing cock free. Remembering the lube in his nightstand, he grabbed the bottle and squeezed a generous amount on his hard member.

"Need you... in me," Pritchard gasped, pulling at Adam by his shirt, trying to get closer.

Jensen, not lacking for motivation, spread the other man's legs, resting between them and placing his cock right at Pritchard's tight little hole. He pushed in slowly, both men grunting and moaning in pleasure. Adam leaned down and kissed the tech, slowly pumping in and out of him.

"More," Frank managed to say, lifting his hips to encourage Jensen to thrust deeper.

Adam picked up speed, leaning against Pritchard to give Frank's dick between them the pleasurable friction from the motion as well. Encouraged by the technician's noises, Jensen plunged deeper, faster. The thought on his mind of oh my God, I'm fucking Francis Pritchard. I'm going to fuck and cum inside of Francis fucking Pritchard coupled with just how good it felt brought him closer and closer.

Pritchard grabbed the cyborg's shoulders, just as taken with the sensations. He hadn't fucked in months and he was almost there. "Jensen," he groaned, unable to articulate more.

"God, Pritchard. I'm going to... I'm going to cum." His hands tightened around the tech's hips as he gasped, holding him tightly as he shot deep into him.

He came down just enough to grab Pritchard's cock and start moving his hand up and down. Frank was so close, and he arched his back as he fucked Jensen's hand. "J-Jensen," he moaned, feeling himself make one final thrust and climax, cum squirting out and covering the cyborg's hand.

Adam pulled out and collapsed next to Pritchard, breathing heavily.

They lay in silence, spent and sated, curled slightly facing each other.

"You know," Pritchard said, breaking the comfortable quiet after a few minutes, "the scariest moment of my life was when you got in that stasis pod and were off the grid for three days. Granted, I've lived a pretty sheltered life, but I hardly ate or slept because I kept agonizing about whether or not you had died."

The cyborg's heart wrenched a little. "I'm sorry, Francis."

Shifting to a better position, the raven-haired man toyed absentmindedly with his lover's chest hair. "You don't need to be sorry; you had to do it. My point is, just don't leave me again."

Chapter Text

Adam pressed a reassuring kiss to the tech's temple. "Leave you? I'm more worried about it being the other way around. Or worse."

"Worse?" Frank looked at the cyborg in confusion. "What are you referencing with that statement?"

The brunet looked away, sighing, but knew he had to explain. "When I found Megan, right before I went to Panchea," he swallowed, trying to emotionally distance himself from the conversation, "I also learned that she had stolen my DNA. That's how she made her breakthrough in augmentation. I don't know what my freak genetic code is worth to whoever else wants to fuck around with it. I know intellectually that you wouldn't do something like that, Pritchard-- although after that I've seriously doubted my judgements of anyone's character-- it's just this nagging worry in the back of my mind that it's all people really want from me. What she did, what Sarif used to his benefit, White Helix..." he stopped, unable to force himself to say more.

The computer technician roughly pulled the other man closer. "Jensen... I don't know what to say. I'll never do anything like that. I'm angry at those who've used and hurt you." Tenderly but firmly, Frank kissed him, now taking on the reassurance role.

"I know, Francis," the heavily augmented man smiled, appreciating that the hacker cared this deeply for him.

"You're not still in contact with Megan, are you?" asked Pritchard, feeling a pang of jealousy.

Adam caressed the tech's hand, gently answering with a simple "no."

Satisfied, the smaller man rolled over and closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Adam."

"Goodnight, Frank."

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"There'll be questions and rumors if we show up at work together, Jensen," the raven-haired man paced around the living room, hair still wet from the morning shower.

The cyborg watched him, slightly annoyed. He found the idea of covering up their relationship distasteful. "They're not rumors if they're true. Besides, no one important will care. You know Sarif—if anything, he'll be creepily happy."

Frank began wringing his hands. "I don't like being talked about. I learned at a very early age to keep to myself and not draw attention, because whenever I was talked about, it didn't end well."

Adam stepped forward and caught the tech mid-pace. "You're allowed to live and just enjoy your life without fear. And no one would dare mess with you, because then they'd have to deal with me," he stared confidently, sans sunglasses, into Pritchard's dark blue eyes, trying to convey that everything would be alright.

A few moments later, the smaller man looked down and settled into the cyborg's embrace. "Okay," he replied softly.

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David Sarif burst into Adam's office around noon. "Hello, Son," he greeted, grinning ear to ear.

"To what do I owe your coming all the way down here, Boss?" the security chief asked, pretty sure he knew why the CEO was there.

"I just want you to know, Adam," the older man sat comfortably in the chair opposite the cyborg, "that I'm happy for you! I know your relationship with Frank will only increase your work productivity. You always stayed completely professional at work with Megan, so I'm not worried about that. You've been through a lot, Adam, and I hope having somebody will help you."

Jensen nodded awkwardly, trying to think of something to respond with, when Athene came in. "W... What are you holding?"

The secretary set a cake on the other employee's desk. "Congratulations, Adam," she smiled warmly.

"Boss, why is this cake shaped like a pony?"

Sarif stood up. "Why not, Son? Why not?"

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For the first time since their daily security meetings started, Adam Jensen was not late. Actually, he'd been looking forward to seeing the tech all day, and was surprised when he walked into Pritchard's office to find him looking somber.

"Just one moment," he waved at the brunet to sit down. Adam watched with appreciation for how skillfully his partner's hands glided across the keyboard, enjoying the time to stare at him. At the same time, he wondered what had the raven-haired man in this mood.

Frank tapped the enter button, then swiveled his chair to face the cyborg. "It seems our friend Tindall saw us at the restaurant, yesterday, and is threatening me in an attempt to get to you. I traced the email to get his IP address and looked it up to find it's registered to Page Industries. I think we've got an enemy much bigger than Tindall."

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Omigosh, the My Little Pony reference is not really OOC. Not really at all. If you hack Sarif's computer, you can see that his email handle is FreneticPony. I swear, Sarif did this bringing a cake thing all on his own. I had absolutely no say in the matter. He bribed me with free augments. There was nothing I could do. I'm giving you a choice noooowwwww, Adaaaammm! By the way, I've made a couple Deus Ex music videos, so that's been fun. One silly (with the song Call Me Maybe), one serious.

Chapter Text

David drummed his desk, trying to decide what course of action to take. "We're not sure Page Industries is involved. Tindall could be acting on his own simply out of revenge. Adam, you're going to have to go there and find out. Whether or not they really are involved, this company is at risk."

"Why's that, Boss? You can't let anyone else get a sample of my DNA?" the cyborg fumed, not in any state to censor his thoughts.

Sarif shot him a sharp look. "Both of my top security workers are being threatened, and if I lose my security, I might as well just sell the whole damn company! I don't need you taking this out on me, Adam. I genuinely thought we'd moved past this whole fiasco—that's why you continued to work for me. Now, get to the helipad, and I'll tell Faridah to meet you there."

About to argue that he was most certainly not over the huge violation the CEO had committed against him, the ex-cop shut his mouth when Pritchard nudged him, hard, in the side.

"I can just crack their systems and look for any information from my office. Why send Jensen?"

David sighed. "Look, Frank, if you find something, great. I'd still like Adam to go and get a feel of the place. I know you want to protect him, but I'm sure he'll be fine. Right, Adam?"

Having cooled down slightly, the cyborg obediently replied, "Right." He actually felt better at having something to do, rather than sit and hope for the best. The thought of Pritchard being threatened made his blood boil.

The computer tech looked helplessly to both men, mouth open like he wanted to argue the point, and then shut it as he resigned himself to the situation. Taking their cue from Sarif that they were dismissed, the two employees left, silent until they reached the elevator.

Grateful they were alone, the raven-haired man shoved his partner against the wall, kissing him needily. Two augmented arms wrapped tightly around him, the cyborg returning the kiss with equal ferocity. As the structure stopped on the correct level, they reluctantly parted.

"Jensen," the tech started, pausing to find the least awkward words to express that he was worried and wanted the brunet to come back safe and sound, "keep your infolink open."

The ex-SWAT smiled at the concern. "Be careful, Francis, and don't get yourself kidnapped. I'll be fine." Resisting the urge to make the 'goodbye' any sappier than it already was, he strode off toward Malik.

"Hey, Spy Boy," she waved at him with a smile. Faridah'd always been kind to him, and he was glad to count her as a friend. He didn't notice Frank practically growl when they hugged.

Adam retracted his shades to look at her fondly. "It's too bad the only time I see you is when someone's in danger."

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"Jensen," came the tech's voice via infolink, sounding nothing but professional, "I have a layout of the building; I'm sending you the schematics now."

The cyborg crouched behind a box, feeling a sense of familiarity in such a position. "Thanks, Pritchard." Letting the Page Employee pass, he slipped into the vacant Human Resources Office and looked in the personnel file cabinet. Easily, the ex-cop found the T's and located Tindall's record.

Hired under request of Mr. Page. Defector from Sarif Industries with valuable information on augmentation technology and competitor security.

Just as the brunet was about to report the evidence to his co-worker, something caught his eye. Had R not been so close to T in the alphabet, he might never have looked in another drawer and found her file. Adam jammed Tindall's folder back in and hastily grabbed Megan Reed's. His heart thumped loudly in his ears and his throat felt as if it were closing.

Hired under request of Mr. Page. Defector from Sarif Industries. Currently assigned to the D Project.

His stomach dropped. Hand shaking, he pressed the communication button. "Pritchard, I found Tindall's proof-of-hire."

"Alright, Jensen, you'll need to find his office and-"

Adam cut him off, too angry to listen to what he already knew he needed to do. "-and Megan's. And Pritchard, her date of hire is the day I went to Panchea. She didn't care about whatever I was going to do there; she had her plan. She..."

The computer technician sighed, trying to keep his emotions controlled. "Adam," the barrier of professionalism broke as he spoke softly, attempting to calm his partner down, "if you'd like to come back, someone else can take this case. Sarif won't be happy, but he'll understand. But you can't be compromised. You just need to compose yourself long enough to get out of there."

Taking a deep breath, Jensen felt slightly better. He put the file back in and began heading towards either Dr. Reed's or Brian Tindall's office—whichever he could find first. "I'm okay, Frank, but... thank you. I'm the head of security, and this is my job." He hung up, not wanting to discuss the matter further.

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"The nanite-virus chimera?" Sarif's baseball tossing tic became more frantic. "What the hell is that, Adam?"

The ex-SWAT crossed his arms. "I don't know, Boss. Based on the definition of chimera, I'd guess it has something to do with augmentation. Probably working with nanotechnology. But they didn't leave many traces of what it was around, and from what I found in Tindall's office, they need more of my DNA to work with it."

Setting the ball down, the CEO put his hands on Adam's shoulders. "Be on your toes, Son. If they can't get to you through Frank, I have a feeling they'll try some other way. If Megan approaches you, don't let your emotions get the better of you, Adam. You get the hell out of there."

"Don't worry, Boss. I've got it under control."

All the security chief wanted was to get down to his geeky computer nerd, and he hurried away as soon as David let him.

The tech greeted him with a tight embrace.

Brushing back Pritchard's bangs with a robotic hand, Adam retracted his glasses. "I'm sorry I worried you. It just shocked me to learn again that I never really knew her. Anyway, Sarif's assigning security around both of our apartments, so we should be fine to go home."

Frank looked away, fidgety. "You don't... suppose... he could save resources and just assign them to your place, do you?"

The cyborg glanced at his partner's hand, taking it gently in his own. "We can go get some of your things right now and grab some food on the way back."

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"You don't really have take-out every day, do you, Jensen?" the raven-haired man inquired as they headed downtown, towards a multitude of restaurants. Adam coughed. "Of course not. Most days I cook up a nice bowl of cereal."

The tech looked at him, disapproval covering his features. "That's disgusting, Jensen. Forget eating out, we're going to the grocery store. I'm going to cook for you—think of it as payment for letting me live with you for now." As the brunet opened his mouth, Frank cut him off. "Don't argue with me."

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Pritchard glared at the brunet as the two emptied the contents of the grocery cart at the cash register. "Really, Jensen? Sneaking a box of Crunchy Pirates into the basket? How juvenile."

The cyborg pretended to ignore him, staring up at the ceiling with a smirk on his face.

Chapter Text

"I don't get it, Jensen," the computer tech thought aloud as he set the table, "you cook for Michelle Walthers—why not for yourself?"

Thinking about the woman, the ex-cop felt bad that he'd gotten off work too late to stop by her apartment. "I don't know, Francis. I guess it just doesn't seem worth the effort when it comes to me." Adam eyed the food hungrily, not recalling the last time he'd had an actual full dinner. He helped himself to a chicken leg when the raven-haired man finally sat down.

The smaller man huffed. "You really need to take better care of yourself. Do you know how pissed off I'd be if you died of heart disease or malnutrition?" he heaped a serving of salad on to the cyborg's plate, driving the point home.

Adam took Pritchard's arm to hold him still and pecked him on the lips. "Thanks, Francis."

Cheeks tinged red, the tech stayed silent and focused on eating his food.

"It's hard to believe we've only been together a couple of days. Less than that," the cyborg mused, popping a chunk of the bird in his mouth. "You're already kind of living with me—is that too strange for you? I mean, I like it..."

The tech finished the last couple bites of his lettuce and looked at his co-worker thoughtfully. "It's strange, and not what I would have expected," he took a sip of water, letting the brunet worry for a moment, "but I don't see the point in drawing things out when we're both wanting more. I'd like to keep my own place as contingency, of course. But living together, we'll see more quickly if this is going to work or not. I'm not getting any younger, so I'd rather not waste time."

"Adam?" a woman's voice came over his infolink as he was about to respond.

He clenched his fists. "Megan? Why are you contacting me?" he questioned angrily, memories of her betrayals coming to mind. Frank winced at the sudden tension filling the room, but stayed silent to hear the conversation.

"Adam," she spoke softly, "I'm sorry I disappeared again. Please don't be angry."

The ex-cop gave a short laugh. "I'm sure you're sorry. Leave me alone."

He could almost hear her frown. "I am sorry, and I want to make it up to you. Will you please just meet me? I'm in the lobby. I miss you. My mom misses you."

"Don't drag your mother into this to try and manipulate me."

"Please, Adam," she pleaded, "I'm coming up. Just let me in and we can talk." As the link crackled, the cyborg wished he had an actual phone so he could throw it down in anger.

Frank didn't know how to comfort him, but he knew he could help. Wordlessly, he walked out the front door and stood there, waiting for the woman who had consistently hurt his boyfriend.

"What are you doing here?" she asked rudely, making her way down the hall. Megan crossed her arms as he stayed put, blocking the entrance from her.

The computer technician rolled his eyes. "Like you don't know from your friends at Page Industries that we're together. Whatever you're planning's not going to work."

"I don't know what you're talking about. All I wanted was to talk to Adam and try to repair our relationship," she gave him a hurt look.

Frank didn't buy it. "Even if that was your reason, I don't want my... boyfriend," he stumbled over the word, "...hanging out with manipulative gene-thieves. You had your chance and it didn't work." Ignoring her pretended look of shock, he went back inside and closed the door, locking it. Adam was right there.

"Eavesdropping, Jensen?"

The cyborg just pushed him against the door and kissed him almost frantically. Frank's defenses fell away as he kissed Jensen back, sighing softly as the ex-cop's tongue found its way to his own. Without warning, the augmented man lifted him up and carried him back to the dinner table. Pritchard didn't protest, even when Adam cleared the table in a swipe of his arm, knocking everything noisily to the ground before lying the tech down.

This time, actually wanting to see the other man's body, Pritchard hastily pulled Jensen's shirt off over his head. Jensen hardly noticed, roughly tugging at Pritchard's jeans and boxers, only focused on freeing the tech's already hard cock. His mouth engulfed it, drawing a moan from the man under him as his tongue slid up and down the shaft. Adam brought Pritchard's dick in and out, loving the way the tech tensed in pleasure each time he took him fully, cock reaching the back of his throat. "God, Jensen," he groaned, unable to help thrusting as Adam sucked, moving faster. "I really want to fuck you."

Understanding the request, the brunet pulled back, Pritchard's cock noisily sliding out from between Jensen's lips. He dropped from the table to yank off his remaining clothes, then hastily climbed back up and straddled the tech. Frank's cock already dripping with saliva and pre-cum, Adam took it and slowly lowered himself on. Pritchard gasped at the feeling, reaching up to hold the cyborg's shoulders where the augmentations met flesh. Grunting as he adjusted to the tech's size, the ex-cop slowly started moving up and down. Frank took Jensen's large member and grasped it, causing the brunet to speed up, fucking the tech's hand as he rode him. They built up a fast, impatient rhythm.

"Jensen," Pritchard dug his nails into Adam's back as he came. He pumped Adam's cock just a few more times and the cyborg cried out, cum spilling out over Frank's hand.

They stayed in that position several moments, staring at each other and breathing hard.

Slowly, Adam lifted himself off of Pritchard, dropping lightly to the ground and, without thinking about it, offered the tech a hand to help him up. Frank took it, touched by the gesture. All of Jensen's gentleness after sex---it wasn't something he was used to getting. He didn't quite know if he should say something about how much he appreciated that Adam never made him feel used. Frank knew he didn't want to come on too strongly, especially so early in the relationship, but with the current dangers, he'd regret having held back if something happened to one of them.

The brunet reached to turn on the shower before Pritchard realized they were already in the bathroom and that he'd absentmindedly removed the rest of his clothing.

"Jensen," he inquired softly, and the ex-cop turned his head to face him, "do you... worry this is all too much, too soon?"

Furrowing his eyebrows to think for a moment, the larger man paused. "We've known each other for quite a while, and I feel like, despite our bickering, we ended up friends and confidants before the romantic aspect came about. When I wanted more than that, I'm not sure, but it's not like I just fell in love with you two days ago. I realized it fairly recently, but I've felt that way for a while. So, no, I don't worry about it, but if you need me to, I'll back off."

"This is the second time you've referenced 'loving' me, Jensen," the tech pointed out, "I'm starting to think you do."

Adam looked down, trying to avoid Frank's gaze.

"It's okay. I just wanted to be sure that you do, before I say anything stupid."

The brunet glanced up. "I guess I can't keep my mouth shut. I love you, but I'm okay if you can't say it back, yet."

Pritchard held the ex-SWAT's hand a little tighter. "I do love you, Adam."

The cyborg smiled and kissed him lightly, then pulled him into the pleasantly hot, steamy shower. Frank slid his arms around his partner's neck and just enjoyed the warm sensations, physical and emotional.

"You know, I'd love to call in sick tomorrow and spend the day with you, but Sarif'd totally know what was going on," mused the security chief.

The raven-haired man laughed. "As if you don't remember we have bigger problems to deal with than annoying Sarif," he teased.

"Yeah... And by the way, thanks for dealing with Megan for me."

"...You're welcome, Jensen."

Chapter Text

Adam smiled as the computer tech paced back and forth in the elevator. He felt a little bad that his companion was so anxious, but he was just too happy being near him, replaying the scene from last night's shower in his head.

"I mean, if Megan can just get past the guards without a second thought, she's probably gotten a stealth aug. Who knows what kind of technology they're developing and not releasing to the public?" The raven-haired man spun to face the cyborg. "Are you listening? Aren't you worried?"

Stepping forward, he brushed Pritchard's bangs aside. The ex-cop smiled, metal fingers lingering on the tech's forehead and cheek. "I can handle it." Frank's heart thudded a little faster, and he wanted to tell Jensen something along the lines of how he'd be happy to forget everything and fuck him right here, but they were both in danger and it wasn't something the security chief could simply 'handle.' Before he could open his mouth, the structure stopped.

Adam exchanged greetings with Athene as the two men passed by into the CEO's office. David speedily finished his email before acknowledging his security team. "Hello Adam, Frank," he nodded at each, respectively. "Any news?"

"Boss," the cyborg began, getting straight to the point, "Megan showed up at my apartment. Pritchard took care of her, but we're both concerned that the guards didn't even notice her." The tech glanced over at him, grateful that he actually was taking this seriously.

Sarif looked uneasy. "You think it was augmentation?"

"Well, she certainly has access to it. Why wouldn't she use it?" the raven-haired man chimed in. "She'd do anything to advance her research." Frank regretted the jibe when he saw a pained look flash across the ex-SWAT's face.

Tossing his baseball up and down, the CEO strode toward the back windows. "Adam, Frank, there really isn't anything I can suggest. I know stealing their research is out of the question, and I'm sure they make generous contributions to the police force. Having those genes... they're just going to keep coming after you, Son. It's a constant hassle, but sometimes life works that way. That's why I have the two of you—I have to watch my back all the time, as head of a cutting edge augmentation development company. People are always going to be after me."

"So, basically, our job extends to watching out for ourselves in order to keep Sarif Industries on top. Is that what you're saying?" Jensen attempted to clarify.

"If that's the way you want to look at it, yes." Sarif returned to his chair and put the ball down. "Just keep me updated as usual. I can continue to accommodate you with guards, but it doesn't sound like it'll do much good. Do you have any objections if I remove them?"

The heavily augmented man shook his head. "No, Boss, you can call them off. We'll be fine."

"Well, I do have an objection," inserted the head of cyber-security. "Every measure we take to prevent trouble is valuable. I have to insist on them staying."

David caught the tense look between the couple and wanted no part of it. "Why don't you two decide amongst yourselves. I'll leave the team in place until you both tell me otherwise."

Not wanting to make his employer more uncomfortable, Adam took the not-so-subtle hint to have the discussion with Pritchard elsewhere. "Alright, Boss. I'll get back to work."

Frank mumbled some similar parting words, but they were unintelligible. Remaining silent on the ride down, he didn't even look at the ex-cop. The cyborg could tell his co-worker was angry, and silently followed him to his office, closing the door to give them privacy. Jensen didn't even manage to get his mouth opened before the tech went off. "How dare you try to decide something about my safety before even consulting me? I live there too, did you think of that? It's partly my decision about how much security we have, too."

Calm demeanor fleeing his body, Adam narrowed his eyes, sunglasses keeping their full expression hidden. "It's my apartment, Francis. I don't want people mulling about in my business." It had been a while since the brunet had used the other man's nickname so venomously.

"Then I'll go back to mine and be out of your way," the smaller man stated simply, refusing to back down.

The ex-cop's stomach churned and squeezed painfully at the thought of losing Pritchard. All the trust and communication they'd begun to build, the start of a really great relationship. He suddenly felt like shit. "I'm sorry, Pritchard. You're right." The raven-haired man stared at him searchingly, surprised that his partner was admitting defeat. "I should have asked you first, and it was wrong for me to say what I said. It's our home now, not just mine, and you have as much say in the safety measures we take as I do."

Frank didn't know how to react. Usually, when there was a fight, a relationship ended.

Adam continued. "Just please don't threaten to leave me again. Sometimes we're going to have fights and disagreements, but that shouldn't be the end of it. I don't want either of us to run off when it gets tough, because what we have is mostly good, and that's worth getting through those bad times. At least, it is to me. I meant what I said about how I feel about you."

The tech fiddled with his hands, not wanting to look straight at the other man. "I meant it, too," he replied quietly. "I won't threaten it again."

Jensen took Pritchard's hands and smiled. "I'd kiss you, but I wouldn't be able to stop. I'll see you at four for the security meeting. Would you come with me to Miss Walthers' after work?" Frank returned the grin and shook his head 'yes.'

Chapter Text

Frank smirked behind Adam's back as the ex-cop chopped carrots in the small kitchen. "Before we got together, I never pictured you spending your nights cooking for someone like Miss Walthers. I certainly never imagined joining you in such an activity."

The brunet shrugged, unsure if that was meant as an insult, or if he was implying he didn't want to be here.

"Although, I did think about screwing your brains out on a few occasions," the tech continued. Jensen gave a quiet laugh. "But I have to say, I... prefer spending time with you like this. I like both, of course, it's just that this feels more intimate."

Adam turned around with a smile, reaching a hand to touch his companion's shoulder. "Thank you, Francis."

"For what?" the smaller man raised an eyebrow.

"For feeling that way. And the sentiment is mutual." Resuming his culinary tasks, the next few minutes passed in comfortable silence. "So, what's your family like? You've never told me much about them."

The raven-haired man sighed a little, leaning back against the counter and popping a slice of bell pepper into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, deciding what he could really say about them. "They were pretty average, I guess. I was an only child, and we all pretty much stayed out of each other's way. I had my computer, that kept me happy enough, and they provided well for me. They were proud when I started working at Sarif Industries, and that's about all they know about me. I'm not even sure how they'd react to finding out my sexual orientation, but they probably wouldn't care. I call them on occasion and we update each other on the basics, like if everybody in the family is still alive and healthy, and as expected on holidays."

"Do you ever visit?" The cyborg set the knife down and moved next to Pritchard. The tech shook his head 'no.' "If you... ever decide that we're more serious, could I meet them? I'd offer to bring you to mine, but the last person alive is on the couch out there."

Frank fiddled with the edge of the ex-cop's jacket. "If they're okay with... us, I can invite them here for Thanksgiving. I imagine you'll want to include Miss Walthers, so I think this would be the best place to do it." He softly gasped in surprise as two metal arms slid around his waist and he was pressed against a warm torso. Adam held him tightly for several moments, only releasing him reluctantly to throw the chopped ingredients on to a plate. After all, he'd come here to make dinner, not stand around holding his boyfriend.

Pritchard took a moment to collect himself before following Jensen out of the kitchen.

The elderly woman looked up as the two entered the living room. "Thank you so much, Adam, Frank." The men sat down next to her, the cyborg in the middle. "You're really so nice to cook me dinner every night."

"Well, I'm sorry we couldn't make it last night. There was a work emergency, but I phoned Rolling Meals, so I hope you got your food." Adam handed her the plate of salad.

Michelle grinned. "Yes, I did. You're just so kind to this old woman, Adam."

"You're not just some old woman. Miss Walthers, you're the reason I'm alive, and more importantly, you deserve someone who cares about you to make sure you have everything you need."

She rubbed his shoulder affectionately before beginning to eat. "I always knew you'd grow up to be such a good boy."

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The city was not particularly romantic, but Adam enjoyed walking it just the same. Unfortunately, once they got to the seedier areas, Pritchard became noticeably uncomfortable. They'd just turned the corner to 2nd street, when the ex-cop noticed his former informant.

"Hi, Letitia," he called, taking his nervous co-worker's hand, squeezing it gently in an attempt to comfort him.

She stood up from her trash rummaging. "Hey there, Cap'n. Who's that you got with you?"

The tech stayed silent, so Adam answered for him. "This is Frank. Hey, Tish, the last time I saw you, you gave me a lot of good information. I didn't have the credits at the time, but I wanted to pay you now." He put 2000 in her hand. "You're a good woman, so take care of yourself, okay?"

"Aw, Cap'n, you're a sweetheart. I'm glad to see you lookin' happier. You visit me again, alright?" She pocketed the currency and smiled at the raven-haired man. "And bring that boy along, too. He looks like he could use some socializing—he's about ready to jump out of his own skin and flee into the woods." Francis gave her a dirty look, and the cyborg laughed.

"See you later, Tish." Figuring he'd traumatized Pritchard enough, he started leading the smaller man back home. "She didn't mean anything by it, Pritchard. You okay?"

The computer technician snorted. "Let's just say I'd rather not take a 'romantic' walk through the slums again."

"Alright, I won't drag you out here anymore." The brunet gave him a quick peck on the lips, showing that there were no hard feelings. Teasing wouldn't make him likely to try it again, once he was more secure with himself. "What would you like for dinner?"

Features softening, Frank smiled a bit. "Well, if you promise not to throw it off the table, I'll cook the tilapia we got the other day."

Adam grinned back. "I didn't throw it, okay, Francis? I pushed it off. And you didn't mind, because I had a very good reason."

"Yes, you were quite persuasive."

The building came into sight, and upon reaching it, they started up to their floor. "Well, I promise your dinner will be safe tonight," the cyborg assured him. "The chicken was great, by the way, if I didn't tell you. Thank you."

"I'm glad you liked it. I've actually only ever cooked for myself, so I like having someone to verify that it's edible." Walking down the hallway, the tech became suddenly aware that they'd been holding hands since meeting Letitia. It felt normal and he hadn't thought twice, but now he wondered if everyone had been staring at him. Were the guards they passed mocking him or did they not really care? Adam unlocked the door and motioned Pritchard through first.

Closing and locking it behind him, the ex-SWAT felt relaxed. He retracted his shades and headed to the couch. "You know, we should really bring over the rest of your stuff. Almost everything here is mine, and if you weren't here, no one would know this is where you live."

Frank sat next to him. "You want people that come over to know I'm living here, Jensen?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds weird. I just like to be reminded this is all real," the security chief put an arm around the tech and pulled him closer, "because it's only been three days, and I still worry I'll wake up and none of it will have happened. That I'll still be imprisoned on that boat or just have been chopped up by Sarif's doctors and sent home for recovery."

The smaller man looked at him, confused. "Imprisoned on a boat? What are you talking about, Jensen?"

"When I was off the grid, trying to get to Belltower, I was found and," he hesitated, not wanting to worry the other man, "I'll just say that I had to switch to a 'friendlier' boat." Pritchard wasn't happy with the vague answer and prodded the cyborg for more. "That's not very descriptive, Jensen."

Adam sighed. "I got captured, was beat up, and was helped to escape by people wanting evidence against Belltower, because they needed me to get it for them."

Deciding to drop it, the tech rubbed the security chief's leg affectionately. "I had no idea, Adam. I'm sorry. I'm going to get started on the food, but... if it still bothers you, you should talk to somebody about it."

Chapter Text

"Pritchard?" Adam spoke softly as he moved closer to the raven-haired man, entangling their legs further. The bed creaked a little under the movement.

Frank glanced up sleepily. "Mmhmm?"

The cyborg ran a hand down the thinner man's side, coming to rest on his butt and pulling him so that their pelvises touched. Taking the tech's pleasurable sigh as encouragement, Adam dipped his head down a little to tenderly kiss the other man's lips, deepening the contact as Pritchard compliantly allowed the cyborg's tongue inside of him. They rolled a bit, the ex-cop on top enough to free his other hand, which snaked up to Frank's delicate face. Supporting the tech's head and neck, he shifted to be fully over him, straddling him, unaware of his own little thrusts against the other man's hips. Frank moaned into Jensen's mouth, wanting more friction on his hardening cock.

"Pritchard," Adam sighed in pleasure, running his hand across the tech's chest, up his neck, and back down. He took both of their dicks with his other hand, lazily pumping them both at once. Frank thrust, futilely trying to increase the speed, making little noises of frustration and enjoyment.

"Adam, I..." he gasped as the ex-cop finally moved his hand faster, "...want you," he barely managed to finish the sentence.

Jensen liked that he was able to affect Francis the way Francis affected him. "Do you want me inside of you, Frank?" he taunted, his voice low, full of lust.

"Yes," he answered needily. Adam grabbed the bottle of lube from the nightstand. Squirting a generous amount on, he coated his cock before placing it at Pritchard's tight entrance. Slowly, he pushed himself in, holding the smaller man's hips steady. Adam groaned in satisfaction as he felt his thick member surrounded completely by Frank, buried to the hilt. He wrapped his fingers around Pritchard's dick and moved his hand up and down as he slowly moved in and out.

The raven-haired man lifted his hips to meet each thrust. His knuckles turned white as he tightly grasped the sheets, unable to make a sound as he lost himself in the multiple sensations of Adam pleasuring him.

Jensen fucked faster, cock harder as he saw Pritchard's reactions to what he was doing. He wanted to see Frank cum just for him, and he wanted to cum inside of him. He wanted it every day and he didn't want it to stop.

"Adam," Pritchard noisily gasped, "I'm going to cum." The part of Adam that wanted to continue automatically slowed down. Frank protested. "No, please, I have to..." he pleaded, moving himself faster in an attempt to make up for the lost speed.

Adam couldn't deny him anything. He slammed into him harder and moved his hand faster along Pritchard's enlarged shaft. It was enough. Frank cried out as his seed spurted, dripping down Adam's hand. The sight sent the ex-cop over the edge with him, thrusting one last time deep inside of Pritchard and cumming with a groan of pleasure. Adam felt a sense of deep gratification that his load was so far inside of the man below him, before shakily flopping down to rest on the tech's chest. The hot stickiness between them wasn't bothersome, it felt right. Both breathing heavily, they just enjoyed the closeness.

"Pritchard?" Adam asked quietly for the second time in bed that night.

Frank smiled, remembering what had happened when the cyborg had said the same thing just a little while ago. "Mmhmm?"

The brunet kissed him softly. "You're mine."

Chapter Text

"I basically had two careers I was interested in: policework and engineering. When my parents died, I sort of fell into the more dangerous profession, because I figured I had an advantage—not having anything to live for. That certainly felt true, and it made me fearless about going into places other cops wouldn't. I didn't have a family they could hold hostage over me, so it didn't matter to anyone but me if I made enemies. And there was no one I'd feel guilty about leaving behind if I died." Jensen tightened a screw in the clock he was hunched over. It was Saturday, which meant they finally had time to relax and think about things other than work. Frank sat next to him, browsing online forums, but mostly just chatting with the cyborg. Talking came easier when they weren't solely focused on each other.

Adam continued, "I grew up pretty sheltered, so it wasn't until I became a cop that I realized how corrupt the department was. You know enough about Mexicantown, but that's when I couldn't fool myself anymore that it could be fixed from within. I've always liked building things, but particularly clocks. I'm not really sure why, but I think it's partly because I like exact measurements and knowing how much time I have. Maybe I got a bit more interested because I was young when I lost my parents, and I became hyper-aware of just how short life is. I don't want to waste a second."

The tech casually rubbed Adam's leg and glanced over. "I can see how that would happen. More people could use some of that sensitivity."

Smiling, the cyborg skimmed a diagram for the necessary information. "Did you always know you'd be working in cyber-security?"

"Well," Frank hesitated, slightly embarrassed, "I actually would prefer something more creative. I'd like to make some sort of entertainment, like a television series or a movie. Maybe even a game. But, uh, Picus never accepted any of my ideas."

The brunet looked up. "Do you want me to talk to Eliza Cassan for you?"

Pritchard shook his head. "No. Thank you. I'd only really be satisfied if they accepted my pitch based on merit."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure you'll come up with something one day, though. You're smart."

The smaller man stared at his feet. "Thanks..." he mumbled, unsure of what to say. People did not normally compliment him, and the territory felt uncharted. "Silly question, Jensen, but I have to ask: most people don't want anything to do with me, so why are you the exception? I mean, I've had relationships, but the longest only lasted three months, and it wasn't anything like this."

Turning to face his companion fully, Adam leaned in and softly kissed the other man. "You've got a tough exterior; you know that. The difference with me is that you let me in."

"What, so if I was totally open around everyone, they'd all be in love with me? That's not what I've experienced," the raven-haired man retorted.

"They would, but none of them would love you like me," the cyborg grinned, then took on a more serious expression. "You're a better person than the way you portray yourself, Pritchard. You're really dedicated to your job and you do it well, which is what I noticed first about you. You care about other people, and not just because you might be able to get something out of them later. You're witty, smart, and can hold a conversation. And when you don't have your guard up, you're pleasant to be around, because a person can actually notice these things instead of only being able to focus on how standoffish you're being."

Frank fiddled with the edge of the desk. "You seem to be the only one who sees those qualities."

"What was it that made you let me in, though? I mean, we'd been working together a while before you actually started acting like you cared what happened to me in the field. And I haven't seen you do that with other co-workers."

"It was after you confronted Sarif for me," the tech admitted. "Something made me comfortable enough to ask a favor like that of you. Well, I guess I kind of demanded it. But you did it anyway, and you took my side. That's what made me realize I actually liked you, and it just kind of grew from there. Obviously, we still bickered, but it was more of a familiar habit than out of anger." Pritchard stretched, yawning a little. "Seems someone kept me up later than usual, last night."

The ex-cop smirked. "If you'd like to go back to bed, I'd join you."

"Somehow I don't think I'll get any rest that way. I'm going to make some coffee..." he trailed off as his infolink crackled.

"Don't say a word, or I'll detonate the bomb under your building," came a scrambled voice. Frank's heart sped up, and he tried as hard as possible to walk to the kitchen like everything was normal. "Mr. Pritchard, I'm sure you have an idea who this is, so I'll be blunt. You're going to get us Adam Jensen's DNA. After that, we'll leave both of you alone. You'll be able to stop living in fear. Do not let Mr. Jensen know—you know he would not comply with our request-- and we will be monitoring you. Don't worry, you don't have to do anything more than get a cotton swab and run it along the inside of his cheek. If he's asleep, he probably won't even notice. We'd try ourselves, but you're the only one who can get close to him right now. Just put it in a bag, seal it, and bring it directly to one of our agents. And Mr. Pritchard, keep quiet. If we do indeed have to blow up the building, it will be easy enough to find part of his body to use. We're trying to be nice, here. We're giving you the choice. We will contact you again tonight after you have retrieved the DNA. Until then, Mr. Pritchard."

The tech felt a chill run down his spine as the person hung up, and he stiffly reached for the bag of coffee. What choice do I have? If he never knows, then at least it's only me that has to live with what I did. Right? His conscience did not correct him. Frank threw down the bag and bolted for the bathroom, where he promptly lost his breakfast.

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"You okay, Pritchard?"

The raven-haired man nodded as he spat out yet another round of mouthwash.

"Morning sickness?" the cyborg teased.

Frank shot him a look. "Ha, ha, Jensen," the tech squeezed a generous amount of toothpaste on his brush and began scrubbing his teeth vigorously. If he weren't so fucking panicked, he'd give the security chief a lecture on that little comment. Adam stood there watching him, wanting to be sure the other man was okay. Pritchard finished and rinsed his mouth out. "Look, Jensen, do... you trust me?"

The ex-cop gave him a questioning look. "Yeah, of course, Frank. Are you sure you're okay?"

As badly as the programmer wanted to tell him, he resisted. "I'm fine, Jensen." He averted his eyes.

Sensing this was not one of those times to push his partner further, the brunet gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and left the room.

It was painful how much Adam cared for and trusted him. The hacker stifled another urge to vomit. He grabbed his jacket from the bed, hurriedly making his way out to the front door. "Hey, I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back soon, okay?" he called, not waiting for an answer as he shut it behind him. Fuck, he was a bad liar. It was so obvious that something was wrong, and he just knew the security chief had to know. It was his job to know when things were wrong. Pritchard balled his right hand into a fist and stomped into the elevator. Grateful that he was alone for a few seconds, the tech leaned his head back and ran his fingers through his hair, breathing deeply. He just had to make it past the Sarif guards, then he could act as sour as he wanted. What a waste the guards were. They probably didn't even know anything was amiss.

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Pritchard didn't really have a confidant other than the one man he couldn't talk to. Not having one had been fine for the past several years, because he never really had moral quandaries fucking up his life. Although, they wouldn't have helped much in this situation, he supposed. He always knew what he was supposed to do, even if he'd screwed up a few times. He'd never hurt anyone the way he was about to hurt Jensen, even if Jensen never did find out.

What options did he have? He briefly considered them, deciding to withhold judgement on any possibility until it had been fully thought through. If he skipped town, Page Industries would get the DNA either by killing Adam or just sneaking in and taking it when he was asleep. Both men would be miserable and the only winner would be Page. That decision would be absolutely stupid.

He could take Jensen with him, and the two would be on the run for, what, the rest of their lives? Page would probably get them eventually, and how would he even tell Jensen without being found out? They wouldn't have a chance to grab any of their things. Life would be inconvenient and it probably wouldn't even make a difference---as soon as they stopped to sleep, they'd be killed. Unless they slept in shifts, but what kind of life was that? And they'd never be fast enough to get wherever they needed to. If there was a way to lure Adam outside to a very public area where they couldn't be overheard, he could tell the ex-cop what was going on. Maybe the cyborg knew what else to do, or could at least give him permission to 'secretly' steal his DNA. If only. What if Adam did something rash and got himself killed? They'd probably off Frank for disobeying if that happened. How would he even get Adam somewhere without Page's people knowing? If he somehow managed to do it, he supposed he could carry on a conversation while writing the real information on a piece of paper that he and Jensen could pass back and forth, hopefully unnoticed. Maybe if their hands were close together, they could use a short pencil and just make brief glances downwards. This was probably the most ethical option, but it was still more dangerous than simply sneaking out and handing over the DNA sample.

So the question was, was he willing to risk his life to act in a more ethical manner towards the man he loved?

Chapter Text

So, the question was, was he willing to risk his life to act in a more ethical manner towards the man he loved? To be honest with himself, he didn't want to answer that. He tried for logic, again. Was his life worth changing the means, even though the ends might be the same? The right way could still end up damaging their relationship if Jensen blamed and resented him for the scenario. But that wasn't likely. What was more probable was that Adam would end up feeling used again and fall deeper into the conviction that just being who he was, because of his genes, made him nothing more than a commodity. He might conclude that this was a danger to Pritchard, and push him away. Laying down his life was no small matter, and neither was losing Adam.

If Jensen never knew, Page Industries could hold it over Frank's head and coerce him into more if they ever wanted to. It could lead to more lies, because he seriously doubted this would be the end of the threats. Frank would wind up acting more suspicious, and either Adam would figure it out, or he'd ditch him for being so secretive. So, ultimately, Pritchard would lose control of his life (which could be worse than dying) and was even more likely to lose his relationship.

Having been as objective as possible, the choice was obvious. He'd have to get the ex-cop to a busy area and stumble through the awkwardness. The raven-haired man wandered downtown, where he could lose himself in a crowd and write some information down without being seen. It was rather convenient that he was disorganized enough to have had a pen from work and an old receipt he'd never emptied from his pocket, so he didn't need to go out of his way to obtain them. Knowing Adam, he'd come looking for Pritchard if the time got too late, so when he'd penned the note, he headed to the restaurant where they'd had their first date. Honestly, though it could probably work in their home just fine, he didn't relish the thought of going back to a place that could be easily blown up in a matter of seconds.

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Typical of the detective part of him, Adam Jensen didn't trust suspicious behavior when he saw it. He was fairly sure that even without that experience, he'd have seen right through Pritchard. Everything had been fine before the tech had gotten up to make coffee, and Adam was pretty sure that coffee didn't have anything to do with what just happened. The cyborg deliberated for about ten seconds before throwing on his coat and tailing his roommate. The only thing he was able to imagine happening in that short of a timespan was something that happened within the programmer's head, and that meant it was either a thought or a phonecall. And Pritchard had been threatened once before.

He almost lost him in a throng of people, but managed to follow him to the place they'd had their first date. Frank seemed to be looking around for someone, and the ex-cop's heart wrenched as he considered that the raven-haired man might have a date. He shook the thought away--- if it had been a date, Pritchard wouldn't have been literally sick about it.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

Adam looked up from behind the box to see the nervous waiter from the other day. "N-nothing. I was just... looking for my friend. But he's over there." He ignored the man's questioning, wary look and made his way over to Pritchard.

"Jensen?" the programmer asked, hardly believing his luck. "Thank God you're here. Sit down." The brunet silently complied and didn't resist when Frank pulled both of his hands to the middle of the table.

The cyborg noticed a small piece of paper between them, and leaned forward to get a better look.

Take a picture of this note with you eye augmentations, and don't look down at it again.

Confused, he followed the instruction.

Carry on a normal conversation with me while you read this. We're being watched and probably recorded.

"Where have you been, Pritchard? I've been worried."

I received an infolink threat from Page Industries that there was a bomb under our apartment building.

Frank sighed. "I was just feeling sick and needed some fresh air."

They told me not to tell you any of this, but I couldn't do that. I was instructed to steal a DNA sample from you, or that they'd just dig your body out of the building's ruins and get what they want that way.

"Oh," the heavily augmented man tried to keep his voice steady. "You aren't meeting anyone here, are you?"

I don't have any idea what to do besides giving in to them, but think it through and tell me what you conclude.

"No, I just came here to get some lunch. I like their food, so I figured I wouldn't get sick. Maybe it was the eggs, this morning."

Obviously, it's up to you. If we comply, we'll just go home and act normal. Otherwise, write something with the pencil I put next to the paper.

Adam wanted to knock someone's teeth out. He had no clue what the hell he was supposed to decide. "But you're feeling better now, right?" The computer technician nodded. The two stared silently at each other for several moments. Pritchard wanted to comfort the brunet, and to get some reassurance that they were still okay, but he couldn't. Finally, taking a deep breath, the cyborg broke the silence. "There's some paperwork I need to finish at the office. I'll see you at home, Frank."

A sickening feeling struck the smaller man as the ex-cop stood, and Pritchard grabbed his hand. "Adam," he pleaded softly, not wanting the security chief to leave and put himself in danger. Jensen pulled him out of his chair and into a tight hug.

"Stay out today and do something fun. I love you."

The programmer opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and gave him a short kiss. "Bastard, working on your day off. But, I love you, too."

He couldn't stand to watch Adam leaving, and so sat back down to stare at his table and wait for his order to be taken. What was he supposed to do if Jensen got killed? What if one of Page's spies saw the exchange and got suspicious? Well, he'd taken every precaution he could, and they'd kept to benign topics. Hopefully that was enough. But he knew what Jensen was about to go do, and he almost had to dash to the washroom again.

Chapter Text

"Frank? It's David. I need you here immediately." He'd been sipping a latte in a cafe when he got the call, and it was already after dark at the time. None of the signs leading up to what his boss told him were good, but he hadn't really thought it'd be this...

Sarif's guards had found and defused the explosive device at the apartment, double-checking the place to be sure it was the only one. Security was increased, so it was safe to go home, but...

He didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to stare at the code running across his screen.

Pritchard folded his arms on the desk and laid his head on them. What if Adam was gone? Really gone forever?

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The computer technician woke with a start. Realizing he was still in his office at work, he attempted to trace Jensen's signal just in case. With a sigh—he didn't really think it'd work, anyway—the raven-haired man got up and slogged towards the door. He would set up a program at home to constantly search for his roommate's GPL, but it hurt too much to hope for anything.

Frank had no energy to be angry that the ex-cop had left. He could barely muster up a decent amount of sadness. The whole relationship had been too good to be true in the first place. Now, he just felt numb to the fact that it was over. The programmer had no hope that Jensen was alive, and he regretted not foreseeing the implications of dating a man whose entire career history had been built around danger. He should have known that it could have ended at any time. But, his brain chimed in, that's so for anyone. On the other hand, the job did increase the risks, that's true.

He barely registered the apartment door, but managed to get himself inside before he collapsed with exhaustion. The bed felt empty without the cyborg, but at least it still smelled like him. Loneliness creeped up, and Pritchard pulled the covers over his head and closed his eyes.

Everything was just...empty. Except for the thud of the pain, pounding against his hollow chest. Wishing he could fall asleep, the tech tried to think of something besides Adam. After a few minutes of failing miserably, he figured he might as well write the GPL tracking code just in case he was alive. More than likely, they'd find his mangled corpse. Or maybe someone like Tong, who was wearing his arm.

There goes the dreams of Jensen meeting his parents. Goodbye to the possibility of a lifelong commitment. No way now they'd ever get to the point of discussing whether they wanted more than just the two of them, even a pet. The potential was all gone, and Frank vowed that he wouldn't try anymore. He'd just live the entirety of his remaining life as the miserable, cranky bastard everyone already thought he was. What was the point of making friends when they'd just be gone one day, too?

Frank finished the code—it was a rather easy program to write—and trudged to the kitchen. After a minute of looking around, he just went back to bed. He guessed he'd have to eat sometime, but maybe when he was actually hungry.

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Things weren't much better when he rolled out of bed at noon, but at least he had an appetite. Pointedly avoiding the cereal, Frank quietly fixed himself a couple eggs and some toast. He felt less sick after getting food in his stomach, and somewhat emotionally stronger. Well, it's possible he's still alive. They might be jamming the signal, and that's all. And I've got the program hooked up to my infolink, so I should know if there's any change. Maybe Sarif will send some more people to investigate.

There was an idea. In fact, why hadn't the boss suggested it himself? David had thrown an absolute fit at the loss of Adam, but he never said anything about attempting a rescue. Had he given up, or did he simply not want to waste the resources?

"Sarif," he eagerly contacted his boss, needing to know immediately, "have you thought about sending a team after Jensen?"

The CEO sighed. "Frank, if they were able to beat Adam with all his augmentations, I don't see how sending less than that will be of any help. He was the most augmented man I had, and it's not like anyone's volunteering to go under the knife."

"But Jensen went in and announced himself. If somebody was quiet..."

"And who's going to do that? If you can find me someone to hire, Frank, then I'm on board. But I don't have another employee to do Adam's job."

Frank thought for a moment. "Then I'll do it. Can you hook me up with a stealth upgrade?"

The tech could hear David furrowing his brow. "I don't think that's a good idea, Frank. You don't have any experience-"

"Well, I have to try," the raven-haired man interrupted. "I'm not going to just sit here and twiddle my thumbs."

"But if I lose you, then I'll be without both of my top security guys. Come on, Frank, we need to think rationally."

Pritchard scoffed, deciding to put all his cards on the table. "I'm going either way. The stealth aug would certainly give me an advantage, but I understand your concern."

His employer gave a long sigh, but relented. "Damnit, Frank. Alright."

Chapter Text

Frank felt more than a little awkward. He'd never been suited up for a physical mission before, and, because he wasn't augmented like Jensen, he'd have to rely completely on stealth. If he screwed it up and was found, there wasn't much hope of making it out of the place alive. He simply didn't have the strength to lug around giant guns and tons of ammo, especially after having spent most of his life at a desk. That's not to say he didn't have a small gun, just in case.

Page Industries was stark, and there weren't a lot of places to hide. He saw his chance when an employee opened the doors to enter the building. Taking a deep breath, the programmer activated his new aug and trailed the person in. Silently but swiftly, he maneuvered through the lobby and down the first hall, past several guards. Had he not been terrified, it would have been exhilarating to sneak so efficiently. After a few more turns, he halted at the name he heard.

"Yeah, that Jensen guy was tough, but I got the shot that brought him down. You should have been there, it was crazy. Took five men holding him down before we could stun the bastard and get him to the interrogation room."

The raven-haired man clenched his teeth to keep from ripping the braggart a new one. Talking about Adam as if he were some sort of trophy? It disgusted him. "But at least we've got what Mr. Page wanted," the second guard answered. "And he gave us all a pay raise, as promised."

The first man stretched. "Yeah, it's the least I could do for the good of all of us."

He couldn't stomach hearing anymore. But... interrogation room? That was a good place to start. On a hunch, he decided to go down a few levels. Don't cliche criminals keep heroes locked away in dungeons, or something? Frank didn't know. He wasn't the fucking detective.

The lower floors came up empty, seeming to just be research labs. By accident, he found Megan's desk.

"Well, what have you been studying, traitor?" he mumbled. Careful not to move anything and alert the others in the room to his presence, he scanned for signs of her work. Nothing.

Pritchard shook his head, trying to focus on the main task.

Page wasn't conventional, then, so maybe he'd try upstairs. The hacker deftly hurried up the steps, realizing that he couldn't stay in stealth mode much longer. He felt drained of energy, too, but it comforted him to have some understanding of what Jensen went through on these missions.

Huffing as he made it to the top floor—the elevator would have been too risky—he nearly had a heart attack at the shriek he heard. Energy renewed, Frank rushed toward the sound. God, please let it not be him please let it not be him-

They were torturing him. Pritchard didn't care to look at how, as soon as he saw they were. With deafening screams blocking out his voice of reason, the programmer pulled out his pistol and shot the perpetrator in the head. He silently thanked whatever that the room was empty otherwise, and hastily began searching the corpse's belt for a key to the metal straps bolting Adam to his chair.

The cyborg wasn't speaking, wasn't questioning why the pain stopped. He simply mumbled incoherently, and that's what worried Frank the most.

"Come on, I'm getting you out of here," he whispered.

"Pritchard..." he breathed, then slumped forward and lost consciousness.

The raven-haired man cursed to himself. Even if he could carry the heavier man, there was no way he could get past the guards lugging a man whose face everyone would recognize. "Wake up!" he slapped Jensen across the face. "Wake up, Jensen! I can have you out of here in twenty minutes, but you have to help me!"

Groaning, the heavily augmented man blearily came to. He silently activated his own stealth and looked to the hacker for instruction. Apparently, he was in no mood to think. Pritchard took his hand and the two ran.

The toughest part was waiting for some damn person to just open the god damn fucking lobby door already, but although it seemed like an hour wait, it was only a few minutes before somebody did. They continued to sprint until finally, they reached the Sarif helicopter. Both completely drained, they collapsed on the seats and were just grateful that Malik took off swiftly, no questions asked.

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David greeted them at the hangar. "Son? Adam, I'm so glad you're okay. You have no idea how upset I was when I thought I lost you. Jesus, Frank, I underestimated you! I guess if Adam ever needs a replacement..." he thought better of finishing that sentence. "No, what am I saying, Adam won't need a replacement anytime soon. He's back, safe and sound! Look, I won't bombard you with questions right now. Go home and get some rest. But in the next day or two, I want a complete debriefing."

"Sure," the tech replied, just wanting to get Jensen to the medical bay.

Adam stayed silent, but did not lose consciousness, and simply followed the programmer.

The CEO left for his office, and Malik and the others knew better than to rush the two, demanding answers.

One of the doctors led them into a room to wait, and Frank seized the alone time.

"God, Jensen, they electrocuted you, didn't they?" he asked, noting the burns on Jensen's bare chest. He hadn't even realized until now that the cyborg's shirt was missing. "Don't worry, I know better than to touch someone who's just been through physical trauma. But fuck, after your well-being and sanity, what I want more than anything else is just... to hold you and somehow make it all go away." The brunet cracked a smile. "I know, that sounds fucking stupid. But you've been through so much pain, it's ridiculous. Seriously, how many times can one man get screwed over? You're a magnet for assholes, or something. Guess that's why you got me for a boyfriend."

A small laugh escaped Adam's lips, but he looked down and winced as if it hurt. "Pritchard," he rasped, painfully, "thank you."

Chapter Text

Frank chewed thoughtfully, his hand itching to reach over and grab the ex-cop's. There had been a distance between them ever since the incident several weeks ago, and the severity of it seemed worse under the scrutiny of his family.

"So, what do you normally do for Thanksgiving? Where's your family?" Pritchard Senior asked, serving himself a helping of garlic mashed potatoes.

Adam tried his best to answer without making the situation awkward. "Well, unfortunately, my parents have passed away, and I don't really have any family besides Miss Walthers," he motioned to the woman beside him, who was happily dining on her first real Thanksgiving meal in years. "I used to celebrate holidays with my ex's family, or not at all. Sometimes it was nice to just have a quiet day alone to reflect on the happy memories from when my parents were still around."

Mrs. Pritchard smiled. "Well, we're happy to have you here this year. Francis, would you help me with the pies?"

The hacker cringed at the use of his name, but followed his mother into the other room. He'd tried so hard to get people to call him Frank-- hell, he'd put it in the computers as his name at Sarif Industries. Who names their son “Francis,” anyway? he thought, bitterly. And then when Jensen got the job as security chief, he'd somehow done his whole detective thing and found out he was Francis, not Frank. The cyborg had goaded him with it ever since. Still did, despite everything, albeit in a friendly way, now.

"Are you okay, honey?" she rested her hand on his shoulder. "Are you two having a bit of a spat?"

Frank shook his head. "No... It's complicated, Mom. We've both dealt with a lot this year, and we each have our own stuff to work through. I think we'll be okay, though."

"What happened?"

He debated on whether or not to fill her in on his life. They'd never been close—did he really want to start being close by divulging his and Adam's experiences with murder and torture? No, he'd rather his parents not know that.

With a sigh, he smiled sadly. "I don't want to say much about Adam's personal life, but somebody hurt him very badly. Me, I'm just trying to adjust to a new lifestyle. I've never lived with anybody before or had a relationship where the good outweighed the bad. Commitment is an adjustment."

His mother nodded in understanding. "Well, we're happy for you, honey. Living with somebody else is a big change, but if it's right, you'll make it through that awkward stage."

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"Jensen," the tech said when they were home that night. The two were relaxing on the couch, reading, as had become their routine.

Looking over, the cyborg frowned. "Everything alright, Pritchard?"

"Adam," he tried quietly, something in his gut hurting at how they hadn't been on a first-name basis lately, or even doing much more than kissing.

The security chief's gaze softened. "Frank?"

"I think we could both use some therapy after all the shit we've been through."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"We haven't been close since-"

The ex-cop moved closer into his personal space.

"-since-" Pritchard's muddled mind struggled to finish the sentence as Adam's face got within a millimeter of his own. The air felt thick. "-si-" He was cut off from repeating the word as the larger man put his arms on either side of the tech, effectively trapping him against the couch and practically in the hacker's lap.

Their kiss was needy and heavy with how much they'd both missed the real feelings of togetherness ever since Pritchard had gotten Adam out of that torture room. Fitting together felt comfortable and right, and neither could remember why it had taken weeks to get back to that.

At some point, the urgency transformed into relaxation and languid re-familiarization of each others lips and mouth and tongue.

"We're good together, Frank."

Chapter Text

Muscles tightened, the ex-SWAT glared in the mirror, staring at his reflection. This was a stupid exercise. He didn't want to look at his ugly-ass mug; he wanted to break the damn mirror again. But that was apparently catharsis, and would only reinforce his aggression. Adam took a calming breath and looked over his features. Okay, so he wasn't that ugly--- just different. Slowly, he retracted his sunglasses and gazed carefully at his eyes. The thought of his old ones being ripped out and replaced with these...robotic things...

With a shudder, he straightened, turning around. At least he was getting used to looking at himself again. The therapist had told him it would get easier with practice.

"Ready for breakfast?" he heard Pritchard call from the other room. The cyborg didn't answer, opting instead to walk out and put his arms around the thinner man. "Good morning," the tech greeted, "eggs and bacon are on the table."

With a smile and a murmur of appreciation, Jensen set off to devour the food.

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David Sarif had been bugging the detective to infiltrate Page Industries again, but Adam was refusing. He'd told his boss to send someone else, as he'd barely recovered from the last visit, and Frank had stood by him on that one. Or, more accurately, Frank had all but forbidden him to take on anymore dangerous missions.

"Come on, Adam," the CEO plonked down on the ex-cop's desk. "Don't you want to put this whole thing with Megan to rest? Get some closure on the whole situation? She's screwing around with your DNA, even as we speak. We can't just let Page and Megan do whatever they want."

The thing was, Adam really did want to go. It wasn't about Megan. He wanted to finish what he'd started, and never have to worry about his stupid DNA again. Then maybe the looming fear of clones showing up at his door or an army of augs running around would go away. And Adam was the one most-equipped to handle it.

Aw, fuck it.

Frank would be furious.

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"You're what?" The raven-haired man was just about as enraged as the cyborg had expected. "What are you even thinking? No, you're not thinking, that's just it. What gives you the right? Why are you going to put me through this again?" He began angrily pacing around his office.

"For the record, my shrink agrees with you."

"Then why in hell are you going?" This was less of a yell. More desperate and resigned.

Adam shrugged. "Who else is going to do it? They can't just keep my DNA."

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, the hacker just sighed. "Please don't."

Chapter Text

Dinner that night was quiet. Pritchard couldn't quite bring himself to savor what could be their last moments, his morose thoughts getting the better of him. The security-guard's attempts to lighten the mood were met with one-word answers, and, eventually, he stopped trying. As much as Adam wanted to be annoyed with the way Francis was acting, he understood the fears.

Not until they had settled in for bed that night did Frank put a voice to his thoughts.

"This may not be the right thing to say, but I can't help thinking that it's highly unlikely your DNA is only at this one location of Page Industries. If anyone in the organization has half of a brain, they've sent it, and any information uncovered, to several different places. Maybe this mission will tell you what they're working on, but I don't think there's a way for you to ever really be satisfied that your genes will never be misused. I think it's hopeless."

Adam rolled over to face the hacker, his expression unreadable. "At least I'll be able to find out what they're doing. See if they're going to come after us."

"You really want to risk your life for that? Either they do or they don't. They have what they wanted, and unless they see us as a threat, which they will after your little escapade, it would be prudent to just leave us alone."

That was a good point, but... "I'll take this last dangerous mission, and then I promise I won't take any others as long as we're together."

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"Alright, Jensen," the computer technician felt himself nestle in the grooves of old patterns-- probably a subconscious way to distance himself from feeling-- as he spoke over the infolink. "I'll be here if there's anything I can help with."

"Thanks, Francis." What, was he trying to be playful? Pritchard could hear the smile in the ex-cop's voice.

Resting his head on his desk, ponytail falling to drape over his arm, the hacker sighed. He tried not to think about what was happening right now, and hoped that Adam would follow through with what he'd promised last night. It was time for both of them to be out of danger; they'd had enough impending demises to last a lifetime.

As a distraction, Frank pulled up his work-in-progress: a word file with a television show script that Picus just had to accept. They hadn't been interested in a hacker, but a hacker who helped a hard-ass cop solve crimes? That would have enough action to satisfy them.

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Here he was, crouching behind boxes yet again. It got old and it was so tedious. The cyborg had been running around for two hours copying files onto his USB drive, and he was looking forward to getting this over with.

He turned around. "Damn. Now this is just cliche."

Chapter Text

Pritchard just basked in the warmth. He was home. Adam was home. They were happier than they'd been since the passing of those first blissful days of their relationship. Not happy, mind you, with the mountains of crap they still had to work through, but happy enough for the moment. The cyborg's warm chest was comforting and was not going anywhere.

Looking to his snoring coworker, the computer technician half-smiled. Late at night, the only one awake, he enjoyed sifting through his thoughts and ordering them into a narrative that made sense. They were both safe, and he couldn't ask for much more, right?

Although the man he had shot had been evil- had been, in fact, torturing the person he cared the most about- the weight of it still haunted him. Evil men still had families. They still had friends and lives they'd created for themselves. They entertained dreams and hopes, struggles and pain, and they were still human.

Frank decided at that moment that he didn't want to get over it, lest he fall into the trap of evil men and stop caring enough. It was the caring that defined his humanity, shaped his essence, and made him who he wanted to be. Sometimes caring was just going to hurt and suck, and that fact had contributed to his callous nature in an attempt to defend himself. Adam had been right about that; Frank didn't let people in enough to see the vulnerabilities. If he continued like that, he would stay alone. Letting Adam in had been accidental- a happy slip-up when he'd felt desperate, felt the loneliness, and needed somebody on his side. When it came to the horrible decision that caring had put him in the position to make (killing or the risk of not saving Adam), the most he could feel comfortable with was acceptance. None of that bullshit about forgiving the unforgivable in himself and in the evil he had encountered. No, it was merely acceptance and a striving to be better and encourage better in his fellow man. He certainly wasn't going to ever stop caring, because he cherished his humanity, and he knew he would have to let people in if he ever wanted friends besides his partner.

At peace with himself for now, he tugged out his hair-tie and tossed it on the nightstand.

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Across the city, David Sarif was looking at the stars. Well, not the actual stars. He hadn't seen those in years. The light pollution prevented that, and he wasn't the type to go camping. All those flies and pissing in the woods—eeuuurrghhh! No, thank you. So, David Sarif was looking at the stars via a projection on his bedroom ceiling. You could say this was how he 'got back to nature' in his own, plastic little way. But it helped him think about big decisions.

Usually, anything good for the company was good for him, but he was having doubts when it came to his head of security. He'd put a lot of money into Adam and he'd gotten a lot of intel in return. He could call it and quit while ahead. The ex-cop was so close to some sort of mental breakdown that it was probably dangerous to keep him around for much longer. The CEO sighed, because he knew that losing Adam would also mean losing Frank, but Frank had taken way too long to detect the little back-end hole in the system. He could easily be replaced.

And he would deny all the way to his grave that this had anything to do with 'the right thing' or his fondness of the two boys.

Chapter Text

"Sorry, Boss, I don't think I quite caught that. What?"

Tossing his baseball between his hands, Sarif looked dramatically out the window. "You've put your life on the line for this company enough times, already. I'm reassigning you."

The cyborg shifted uneasily. "To what?"

Turning back around, the CEO gave a smile. "I'd like you to report to me once a week. Go out and get a feel for what's in the air regarding augmentation. Tell me what ordinary people like or don't like. Keep me up-to-date on trends from every aug supplier, and yes, Adam, Page Industries is included. Whomever else is a big player in research or materials. Don't worry, I won't ask you to go sneaking around again. Just gather the public information, go to conferences, and report to me once a week on what you learn."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Come on, Son, you and I both know you're done with all the heroics and the information theft. You've changed, as should your job. The salary will be the same."

Suspicious but hopeful, the ex-cop relaxed. This would be a change of pace, but that's what he needed. After everything, a job where he didn't constantly risk his life was a welcome prospect.

"But Adam," David added, while the security chief seemed to consider the offer, "you'll need to move somewhere more central to the action. New York City."

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Unsure of what to think, Frank just stared at the kitchen table. "You're moving to New York?"

"Well, I was thinking we, not just me. That is, if you want to. Obviously, you have a life here, and I know it's a lot to ask of you to give that up, but I want you with me."

The hacker nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, I want to go with you. Sarif must have known it'd play out that way, though. Does that mean he wants me out of my job?"

Jensen shrugged. "I can support both of us until you figure something out. It's not like I'm hurting for money."

"Alright, well," the smaller man flushed with embarrassment at the thought of being taken care of, "I'll start looking for work today. Just give me a few minutes to collect myself, here, okay?"

The ex-SWAT nodded, happy that Pritchard wanted to come with him. He hadn't been sure if the other man would take that step in their relationship, and if he hadn't... well, he just wouldn't have accepted the job. Adam wanted to be with Frank more than he wanted an occupation change, which he guessed meant that he'd risk his life every day if it meant spending his down time here, like this, together. Just in each others presence. So, what, did that mean Pritchard was it for him? For the rest of his life? That didn't seem like too much of a revelation, and he wondered why not.

For a brief moment, the cyborg considered sharing his thoughts, but decided he'd rather just eat the Crunchy Pirates he'd sneaked into the house earlier that week.

Chapter Text

Obligatory Happy Epilogue:

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Adam fumbled with the object in his pocket as he strolled through the midnight scene of Central Park. This was their second Christmas together, and they'd spent it quietly and pleasantly together, having visited Frank's family and Miss Walthers the day before. Well, maybe there'd been an hour or so that wasn't all too quiet, but they'd never really been good at controlling themselves around each other.

And that was just it. They'd gone through good times, really really horrible times, times where they had to adjust to an entirely new life, boring times, and spectacular, amazing times. Whatever happened, they were happy in their stable relationship and got through the rough patches with wit and affection. At the risk of sounding sappy, Adam just wanted to spend the rest of his life like that. Which led him to this nighttime stroll with the ex-hacker.

Frank was by his side, eagerly describing the first episode of his new TV show. Picus had finally accepted a script from him, and the cyborg loved seeing how animated he got every time they spoke about it.

They stopped at a bench, and, taking Pritchard's hand, Adam figured he'd just do it now. He smiled, taking a moment to appreciate the myriad of expressions that passed over his partners face: questioning, slight surprise, knowing, "really, you're going to be that cheesy and propose in a romantic setting?", "god, I hope you don't get down on one knee," acceptance of said imagined proposal, and determination to enjoy the moment for what it was.

Yeah, he'd been pretty obvious with how he'd been talking, lately. That was okay, because as long as they were in this together, that's all that mattered. But he wasn't going to make it any more awkward than it had to be. He looked over the smaller man's face for any sign of hesitance and, finding none, went for it. "You and me, Frank? Let's do that forever." The ex-security chief took out a key and placed it in the raven-haired man's palm. "I got us a house pretty close to the city."

The smaller man smiled softly. "Okay."

"Okay we'll have our own house together, okay you'll stick around forever, or okay you'll marry me?"

Pritchard rolled his eyes. "Okay to all of those, Jensen. Of course."

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A/N: Thanks for reading the story! I hope it entertained you! I ended up writing a Part 2 of this story called Love, Exclamation Mark. No smut in it, but it was a fun write, so hopefully it's also a fun read.

Chapter Text

Every night now, Frank lay in bed with his arm outstretched. His hand curled slightly, and his fingers brushed against the cyborg's back. Before everything had gone to shit, Adam had taken his hand, and they'd always slept like that. Digits laced together, intertwined with subtle intimacy.

Before everything had gone to shit, Frank didn't lay awake for hours every night, willing himself to take it easy. To give Adam time. Things like this didn't heal in a few days. Their initial contact had been fueled by the passion of first times, of a new relationship, but now that there was trust, was comfort, there wasn't the same need.

The hacker tried to remind himself that this was a good thing. Healthy, in fact. Adam didn't feel obligated to go through the motions when they made him uncomfortable. And so it may be hard on Frank, may make him feel unwanted, but that didn't make the feelings true. Sure, he'd let himself feel it, but he didn't have to act on it or let it overrule his rational thought. Adam needed space, and that was that.

Still, he kept his arm out, hoping to convey that when Adam was ready, the hacker would be waiting, still wanting.

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When they kissed again for the first time, it was like he could breathe again. When the ex-cop actually faced him as they drifted to sleep, taking his hand tentatively, Frank tried not to get his hopes up. Yeah, this was progress, but mental recovery didn't work in straight lines. Maybe the next night or a week from now, they'd have to pull back from each other a little. Pritchard, in no uncertain terms, made sure Adam knew that was okay. That the raven-haired man would be fine with whatever the detective needed. Wouldn't take it personally. Would sleep on the couch anytime it helped.

The next night, Adam screamed. The hacker bolted upright, turning to face his companion.

“Adam,” he said loudly, over the noise. His voice was firm, but not unkind. He placed his hands gently on either side of the ex-SWAT's face. “Adam,” he repeated, and the man below him opened his eyes, quieting.

Jensen's breaths came out ragged, his heart racing. Still in the haze of his nightmare, he tried to focus on reality. On Frank.

“You're here with me, Adam,” the technician said, “and we're safe. We're okay. We're together here in our home.”

“Francis,” Adam rasped, before suddenly grabbing the man's face and crashing their lips together.

Frank gave a yelp of surprise as he was pulled downward, his arms barely keeping him from collapsing, before he relaxed into the frantic kisses. Eventually, Adam calmed, and pulled the hacker down to lay half-draped over his chest.