by elfin

Harry stared at the form in his hands.  He read and re-read the name printed in the second box down.  Finally he looked up over the white A4 sheet at the nonchalant man sitting on the couch in front of him.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Adam shrugged like this wasn't a big deal.  "What?  He's already got top-level security clearance."

Shock made it difficult to string together the right words.  "There are at least two things making that statement very scary."

Rolling his eyes, Adam asked, "Because he's a guy."

"No.  Well... yes."

"This isn't the army, Harry."

"Being gay..."

"I'm not gay."

"...having homosexual relationships..."

"...leaves me more open to blackmail?  It's bullshit and you know it.  I haven't cracked under interrogation yet, and I won't in the future.  Who I sleep with has no bearing on my work."

"The vetting form will come back with a lot of red on it, Adam.  You can't do this."

"Too late."

"Why?"  Harry caught on.  "You're already seeing him!"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"A year and a half."

Quick mental calculation.  "But that's before....  Why don't we know about this?"  He caught Adam's obvious expression.  "Sorry.  Rhetorical question."

"Oh, come on, Harry.  Like I said, he's already got full security clearance."

"Had full security clearance."

"We don't discuss work.  He's not even interested any more."

"Now that I find difficult to believe."

"Seriously."

"Even when you go home... damaged?"

Adam's humoured expression hardened.  "Even then."

"You're lying."

"If you can tell that I must be losing my touch."

Harry took a deep breath and released it slowly.  "How serious is it?"

"Didn't I just say 'a year and a half'?"

"He's a security risk, Adam."

"He wouldn't do or say anything that might put me or any of you at risk, Harry.  He loves you guys."

The corner of Harry's mouth quirked up.  "And you?"

Adam glanced into the corner of the room.  "I hate you all."

"You do not."  The tension in the room dropped a couple of notches.

He smiled.  "He's crazy about me."  He stretched out his arms.  "Who can blame him?  And I'm a little crazy about him.  I'm not asking your permission here, yours or 5's.  I'm making it official so that if anything happens to me he's informed."

"What a fun conversation that would be."  Harry sighed.

Taking that as 'permission granted', Adam got to his feet, grinning.  "Thanks."

"Adam....  Say 'hello' to Tom for me."

"I'll give him a big kiss from you, Harry."