They helped each other out. At first it had been professional, Adam had actually gone to Booker DeWitt to help him out with some investigations into local gang leaders. That was back when he'd been on the police force, on the S.W.A.T. team. Over the years it had been advantageous for him to have someone outside the police to go to for certain information, and it had been equally advantageous for Booker to have someone on the inside to get information he wasn't otherwise privy to being a civilian. Some lines were crossed. The two understood each other, they understood that some lines had to be crossed when needs necessitated it.

Now that Adam was in the private sector too, their professional relationship had slowly turned into something more like friendship. Adam was still useful to Booker but in other ways. Namely, now he had military-grade augmentations that allowed him to rival the best hackers in the world. Having a hacker as a friend was highly advantageous. For his part, Adam still used Booker's contacts in his new position as head of security for a bio-pharm corporation.

Their meeting tonight in Booker's favorite part was part work, part pleasure. They often met for drinks whether they had some business or not and this was more or less an excuse for that. Booker was already at the bar when Adam arrived and he walked over and clapped the man on the back once before sitting down on the stool next to him. He glanced at Booker's drink and ordered the same as the bartender came over. "Honey-bourbon Toddy for me too." It was a cold evening, raining outside (when did it not rain in New York?) and that sounded like just the thing.

When the bartender walked away, Adam turned his lens-covered eyes to Booker and gave a nod. "Hey. How goes?"

Adam was one of those that was into that sort of thing. He had already had a few big sips of the Toddy and the next time the bartender came over, it was with an order of oyster shooters. Adam was enough of a regular that it was known that he would be ordering some sooner or later. He nodded his thanks and took one down his throat with a jerk of his head and gave a content, loud sigh after.

"Fontaine, as in Fontaine Futuristics? Shit." That meant all this smuggling was bigger than he'd at first thought. The Vigors that his company was making were quickly going black market and the smuggling was big business. Even bigger business was the antidote to the splicing problem, and Adam had already talked to Booker about his theory on that. His company wasn't doing nearly enough about the smuggling, and Adam had suspicions that it was because they were making so much money off of all the fucking splicers cropping up. It was sickening what was going on.

Adam sighed and looked over at Booker, eying over his face and that fluffy little turtleneck. It wasn't too much different from his own black turtlenecks he always wore, except it looked warmer. "All I've found is that there's a guy down on Columbia Street that's been trying to make deals on Buckin' Bronco. A Vigor that serious he has to have a supplier. He might be our only lead until Atlas pokes his head up."

He had to chuckle at that one and he gave a smirk over at his friend. Adam shook his head and downed another oyster. The slimy little son of a bitches felt disgusting going down by somehow the aftertaste was worth it. Adam shook his head. "Yeah me neither."

It was a conversation they'd had a long time ago. They were both jaded men, both men who'd made far too many mistakes to believe in redemption but stubborn enough not to have tried to ever ask for it anyway. They were both men heavy into addiction but it wasn't laced with any denial. Adam knew exactly what he was, and what he wasn't, and Booker was the same way. They understood each other on a deeper level than Adam thought might be healthy -- given the fact that neither one was likely to make the other want to change any. They were cozy in their rut together.

Adam ordered a straight Vodka to wash the oysters down with before he started on some of the potato skins. For another minute he was quiet until he was done with the snack. "I visited Isaac yesterday," he stated quietly. Isaac used to be here with them frequently, on the other side of Adam. He'd been sent to the facility out west. The state said it was for the best but Adam disagreed. He hated seeing Isaac locked up in there, they weren't helping him any. "He's getting along." Which Booker would understand to mean it was fucking sad and pathetic as usual. Even still, Adam tried to get out there at least once or twice a week to visit him.

Adam sighed at first, and closed his eyes, then opened them as a smirk lit across his lips as Booker asked his second question. He slowly turned his head on his hunched shoulders and looked over at his friend. That's why he loved this man, they thought so much alike it was almost scary. Adam lifted his cup of the hot comfort drink in toast to Booker's line of thinking.

"Soon. I can't keep visiting him there. It's not right. He's, not doing well." He was doing much better around his friends, in his familiar places. Yes he had spells sometimes but at least he was living. All he was doing in the facility was dying. "And I owe him."

Adam had known Isaac a very long time. At the same time he was getting his bachelor's degree in Criminology, Isaac was getting a Masters in Engineering. They were both a little older than the other students (Isaac much older) and the two had naturally become friends. Adam had a hobbyists interest in engineering and the two of them were embarrassingly nerdy together.

"We, had a thing," Adam said carefully. "Back before I ever knew Megan." It was always an awkward risk admitting that kind of thing to another man, you could never predict how they would react. Adam was comfortable enough with Booker that he didn't think it would risk their friendship and that's why he was confessing it now. Somehow long the way their late nights over homework had become fumbling hands, kisses, and a comfortable exploration.

"We were good friends, and things just kinda happened. Knowing me I was probably drunk the first time." He hadn't been, but he was starting to feel self-conscious and exaggerated the truth some. He'd been the one that initiated it. Adam looked down to his drink and took a large gulp which more or less finished it off and he set the empty glass aside, then fiddled with one of the empty oyster shells on the plate. "It wasn't ever serious but we had fun."

Adam stretched his back then went back to his bad posture, his back and shoulders hunched while he cleaned his metal fingers off with a napkin. "Then he met Nicole, and I met Megan." In fact they had never really talked about it after that. Things went to shit with Nicole, then Isaac got deployed and came back... broken. Then things went to shit with Megan, and Adam got broken. Isaac had briefly been with a girl named Ellie but that hadn't worked out either. Now, Isaac was locked away.

It was one of the things that bonded the three of them, Booker, Isaac and himself. None of them had any luck with long term relationships and so meeting like this was easy. There was nobody at any of their homes wanting them to come home early and spend time with them. Adam gave a rub over his nose and glanced over at Booker. He hoped to god this wouldn't change anything. "I'd want to get him out regardless but we have known each other a long time and, you know..." Adam didn't know how to end that sentence.

"Do you remember Jackson? Teller?" Adam gave a slight smirk again. His self-consciousness went away as the personal topic was slid away and likely never to be brought up again. That's mostly how it was between men, they just didn't talk about things old and buried that really didn't need to be brought up again. If Adam still woke up in a sweat now and again thinking about Isaac's mouth, nobody but him and his hand needed to know about it.

"Now he's away from the gang he's stuck in pseudo witness protection, which means he's home almost twenty-four-seven. Him and Isaac got along well enough and Jackson's got that Nurse brother. I thought the Tellers could take him in. I told Jackson I'd give him some kickback for it." Adam was making good money now, his security job was stable and now a lot of the heavy shit was behind him he was bored and had a lot of time to get into trouble on his own, such as looking into this Vigor black market shit going on.

"Jax says Sean'll help out. Sean's clean cut, while I'm not worried about him snitching I'm worried that he won't actually want to help out if it might mean his nursing certification gets pulled. I can't blame him for that. If he chooses not to help that's fine. It would just be more ease of mind if we had an actual Nurse there to help Isaac out." Adam downed another oyster and followed it by some water.

"Any meds he needs, I can get." Which was one of the perks of working at a pharmaceutical company. Adam had never abused that power before, but he would for Isaac. He'd worked there long enough to know how to make drugs go missing with no one noticing, and no one would ever suspect the chief of security. Even if they did, it was worth it. Isaac was worth it.

He looked over at Booker and reached over to place his hand on the man's shoulder. "You up for this? No harm if you want to keep your nose clean on this one, and no hard feelings."

"I think he can. Sean's okay by me." He hadn't spent a whole lot of time with the younger Teller but the time he did spend around him, Sean was only ever kind and accommodating. Both Tellers had the same smile, that big easy smile that you had to physically force yourself not to smile back at. It was full of charm and light and so opposite of the grizzled faces of himself and Booker who probably looked like jackals whether they smiled or not.

Isaac was something else, he was just a fucking adorable big teddy bear. With a very nice smile too. Adam let his mind wander a moment on that smile before he picked up a chicken wing and started sliding the bones out from the juicy meat. "Security's light on Mondays, I thought we'd go then."

Inevitably, Adam had started hitting the harder liquor the later the night got. Between the two of them they'd polished off all their food, plus a plate of nachos each, and another order of wings. The counter was kept tidy by the bartender thankfully or it would have looked like a party had happened in the establishment rather than just two drunkards on a typical night.

"Pain goes with ya, wherever... you go." This was Adam's deep thought on the subject. He was turned around so that his back was facing the bar, and his elbows were resting up on it behind him, and his head leaned back. He stared up at the ceiling lights, enjoying how they danced before his vision. "No matter. Always there."

Adam blinked a few times behind his lenses and lowered his chin to stare out across the bar. They were the only ones left, which wasn't unusual. He nudged his friend in the side with one elbow. "Hey, you call the cab? I's ain't called it."

Adam watched his friend from the safe distance of the bar, safe observation distance. He could tell Booker was struggling, and he knew him well enough to know when he was starting to get into a slump. He frowned as Booker literally slumped against the payphone booth wall and remained there looking like an old, beaten fighting dog.

He finished off the last gulp of a whiskey he had ordered earlier and he pushed himself up to stand. Adam moved in a wavering line toward the door, not to leave but to retrieve his trench coat. With a momentary struggle getting his arms into the sleeves, he snapped the high collar up into place and moved over to the booth and began pulling Booker out with a supportive arm under the other man's arms, around his friend's back.

"We don't haves to go home yet if don' wanna." Adam helped Booker toward the door, hoping some fresh air would liven them both up some. That's when Adam got a, so he thought, brilliant idea. "Elizabeth'd still be workin." She was a waitress at one of those posh establishments uptown, some rich man named Loki owned it. It was a gentleman's club, where the waitresses wore the pleasure of Loki's whims and always looked amazing for it. Booker and Adam had gone there on a case late last year and this one waitress had taken an interest in Booker. Booker didn't seem to think so, but Adam saw the way she looked at him.

"Jus one more, one more drink. Elizabeth'll take care of ya. Come on." Adam gave Booker's back a clap, then a squeeze on his shoulder as the cab came rolling up to the curb. Adam held onto Booker as they moved together for the door and he helped his friend inside, carefully guiding Booker's head down so that he didn't hit it as he got into the back seat.

Once in the cab, Adam relaxed with his head leaned back and eyes closed. The cabbie asked where to and the name came easily to his memory. "Club of Tricks." He'd worked there a few years back, as part of working for Loki in general. Adam had been head of security for Loki and a few of his properties, including the club. Elizabeth hadn't worked there then, but Adam came and went off and on over the years and that one time when he'd first met her, Booker had been there too. The chemistry between the two had been thick almost from the start.

He smiled to himself as they lulled and rocked with the movement of the vehicle. Maybe tonight the two would finally admit they liked each other and do something about it. "Christ."