While the muse is currently eyeing my head, however, it's true. Sort of. The man has a very strange idea of what friend means.
He respects Adam, first and foremost. The man has never tried stripping him of his right to make his own decisions, like he feels Peter has. There's always a choice with Adam, a feeling of, "If it makes you happy, go for it," and he likes that. Not that he wouldn't be doing his own thing anyway, even if Adam told him he couldn't, but still. It's nice to be treated like a responsible adult, rather than a small child who needs constant supervision. Adam's also been relatively straightforward with him. Anything he has in the works or any question Sylar has asked of him, he's answered without lying or without trying to find what he thinks is the right answer. He hasn't tried to save him. He hasn't pressed a subject Sylar clearly hasn't wanted to elaborate on.
And all that alone is enough to pretty much ensure that, even beyond his promise to Peter, he won't try and kill the man. Oh, sure, he did it that one time as a scare tactic, but he wanted to be sure that Adam trusted him as much as he trusts back. Hell of a way to do it, but general human reaction is fight or flight, when their life is threatened, and he wanted to see which if either he would get from Adam. Like I said to Mara, earlier, it's like looking a wild animal in the eyes. If you can do it and not show fear, they'll leave you alone.
It's funny, though, for as much as he trusts Adam, there are certain things won't let him have, just yet. Mostly the things that can be used against him. Like the extent of his relationship with Mohinder, even if Adam suspects. Or the details of who he was, before Brian Davis and Sylar. Hell, he won't even mention Chandra by name, to him - yeah, he's given him the fact that he's been betrayed by someone, but he won't name who. It's half out of the fact that he really hasn't picked a side yet, and while he's leaning towards Adam's rather than Team Petrelli, he doesn't want to give Adam anything to use against him, if he changes his mind. And it's half out of the fact that the idea of people knowing him scares the hell out of him.
Mohinder already knows him. Peter has seen more than he wants him to. Bennet called him on being in love with Suresh. So he desperately needs to have someone that will let him hold onto a few of his secrets without pressing. He might tell Adam everything and anything, eventually, but right now, the guy is the only person who talks to him who isn't desperate to know what goes on inside his head. And he values his privacy. A lot. It's why, at the moment, Mohinder's the only person who knows he lives in Queens, not at Gray and Sons in Manhattan. He needs to have somewhere to retreat where he can just be and not have to worry about the end of the world, or choosing a side, or ...
For as much as Sylar won't give Adam, though, there's a lot he'd be privy to that he wouldn't tell anyone else. The biggest of which being his schemes, whatever they might be - which is amazing, because I don't think he'd tell anyone else and not just because he'd probably get slapped on the wrist. More because his plans are his own. He's the kind of guy that would rather be tortured than give up what he was planning because the idea is his, damn it, and no you can't have it! Well, that and the fact that, if you want something done right, do it yourself. But he trusts Adam not to steal his plans or screw them up. The guy is competent and sharp, and he can't say that about many people. In fact, the only other person he might say that about is Mohinder, so that's saying a lot.
And, finally, Sylar's sort of fascinated by Adam, and not just for his brains. The guy is old. There's so many things he could learn from him. So many stories Adam could tell him. And he's sort of like a small child, on that front, sitting down in front of their grandfather and demanding to hear stories about the good old days.
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While the muse is currently eyeing my head, however, it's true. Sort of. The man has a very strange idea of what friend means.
He respects Adam, first and foremost. The man has never tried stripping him of his right to make his own decisions, like he feels Peter has. There's always a choice with Adam, a feeling of, "If it makes you happy, go for it," and he likes that. Not that he wouldn't be doing his own thing anyway, even if Adam told him he couldn't, but still. It's nice to be treated like a responsible adult, rather than a small child who needs constant supervision. Adam's also been relatively straightforward with him. Anything he has in the works or any question Sylar has asked of him, he's answered without lying or without trying to find what he thinks is the right answer. He hasn't tried to save him. He hasn't pressed a subject Sylar clearly hasn't wanted to elaborate on.
And all that alone is enough to pretty much ensure that, even beyond his promise to Peter, he won't try and kill the man. Oh, sure, he did it that one time as a scare tactic, but he wanted to be sure that Adam trusted him as much as he trusts back. Hell of a way to do it, but general human reaction is fight or flight, when their life is threatened, and he wanted to see which if either he would get from Adam. Like I said to Mara, earlier, it's like looking a wild animal in the eyes. If you can do it and not show fear, they'll leave you alone.
It's funny, though, for as much as he trusts Adam, there are certain things won't let him have, just yet. Mostly the things that can be used against him. Like the extent of his relationship with Mohinder, even if Adam suspects. Or the details of who he was, before Brian Davis and Sylar. Hell, he won't even mention Chandra by name, to him - yeah, he's given him the fact that he's been betrayed by someone, but he won't name who. It's half out of the fact that he really hasn't picked a side yet, and while he's leaning towards Adam's rather than Team Petrelli, he doesn't want to give Adam anything to use against him, if he changes his mind. And it's half out of the fact that the idea of people knowing him scares the hell out of him.
Mohinder already knows him. Peter has seen more than he wants him to. Bennet called him on being in love with Suresh. So he desperately needs to have someone that will let him hold onto a few of his secrets without pressing. He might tell Adam everything and anything, eventually, but right now, the guy is the only person who talks to him who isn't desperate to know what goes on inside his head. And he values his privacy. A lot. It's why, at the moment, Mohinder's the only person who knows he lives in Queens, not at Gray and Sons in Manhattan. He needs to have somewhere to retreat where he can just be and not have to worry about the end of the world, or choosing a side, or ...
For as much as Sylar won't give Adam, though, there's a lot he'd be privy to that he wouldn't tell anyone else. The biggest of which being his schemes, whatever they might be - which is amazing, because I don't think he'd tell anyone else and not just because he'd probably get slapped on the wrist. More because his plans are his own. He's the kind of guy that would rather be tortured than give up what he was planning because the idea is his, damn it, and no you can't have it! Well, that and the fact that, if you want something done right, do it yourself. But he trusts Adam not to steal his plans or screw them up. The guy is competent and sharp, and he can't say that about many people. In fact, the only other person he might say that about is Mohinder, so that's saying a lot.
And, finally, Sylar's sort of fascinated by Adam, and not just for his brains. The guy is old. There's so many things he could learn from him. So many stories Adam could tell him. And he's sort of like a small child, on that front, sitting down in front of their grandfather and demanding to hear stories about the good old days.
So .... yeah.