#date everything volt x reader

This garnered Eddie’s attention, as his eyes located the personified mini bar, he noticed another being. Slumped against Beverly, with all the poise of a fawn learning how to walk, was you. Immediately, a sense of both irritation and protectiveness washed over Eddie. He moved from behind the bar, making his way over. “What did you do?” He asked, his expression dark and stoic but his voice giving away his concern. Beverly shrunk slightly under Eddie’s fierce gaze, laughing nervously,

“Well.. they offered to help me test out some new drinks, right? So, we started with mocktails and gradually made our way to cocktails and it.. just… kept.. going?”

Eddie just stared and Beverly continued her spiel. 

“I did eventually cut them off, obviously. But we were having so much fun and they were complimenting my drink making. And you know business has been slow and they’re literally my only customer–”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Eddie took a deep breath. “You couldn’t take them to Betty? Having them sleep it off is a better idea than taking them to another bar.” He stated. “They specifically asked for you and Volt. And I know you know how stubborn drunk people are.” Beverly explained, hoisting you up a little. While Eddie’s expression remained neutral, the subtle heat of his face flushing wasn’t lost on him. “Right. I guess we can–”

“Is that our live wire, I see?”

“Volt!”

For the first time since entering the Breaker Box, you spoke. Arms extending out as Volt approached, nearly face planting if it weren’t for him catching and holding you steady. As happy as he was to see you, Volt was perplexed by your drunken state. Normally, you never have more than two drinks with them so this was new. Volt looks at Eddie, a silent question in his expression. “Beverly had them test out several new drinks, many of which were alcoholic. Clearly.” Eddie stated, his sharp gaze never leaving Beverly. Another nervous chuckle escaped the minibar, “Haha, well I guess I better go. Bye!” And just like that she was gone.

Volt chuckled to himself, not taking this nearly as seriously as Eddie was. You could feel his laugh reverberate in chest, making you nuzzle into him more. Eddie just took in your state, as if contemplating on what to do next. “How much did you have to drink, hm?” Volt inquired, leaning his head down slightly to look you in the eye. You shrugged, meeting his gaze, “I dunno, like five? Six-ish?” You answered, your voice slurred. “They’re still coherent, that’s good.” Eddie commented, moving back to the bar to get, what you assumed is, water. Your bottom lip jutted out a bit and eyebrows furrowed, as Volt gently guided you to a booth. 

“Don’t talk like ‘m not here.”

“Sorry.”

Once you sat down, Volt slid in the booth next to you, taking the glass of water Eddie handed to him and slid it in front of you. “Don’t take it personally, live wire. That’s Eddie’s way of showing he’s worried.” He explained. “I’m not worried. You had a few drinks, I don’t care. I’m more concerned about you drinking yourself into a state like this.” Eddie rebutted, deciding to stand rather than sit, subconsciously cracking his knuckles as he spoke. “What? ‘m not even that drunk!” You exclaimed, your voice way too loud considering the three of you were in close proximity to each other. “Right. Like you weren’t barely standing when Beverly brought you here. And damn near fell when Volt came over. Totally sober.” Eddie remarked, a sarcastic lit to his voice. Your brows furrowed once more as you looked off to the side, “You’re mean.” You comment, resting an elbow on the table along with your head in your hand. 

Eddie scoffed in disbelief, looking to Volt for back up. “You are being a bit harsh, Eddie.” Volt added, a small smile still on his lips, clearly enjoying whatever this is. Eddie starts to speak before cutting himself off and sighing. He squats down on your side of the booth, a gentle hand taking residence on your knee. “Look. I don’t mean to be mean, I just– what if Beverly didn’t decide to escort you here? What if you decided to head here on your own? And you tripped on the stairs or something, breaking Skylar in the process. You could hurt yourself or worse and at the end of the day we’re still just objects. You would’ve been on your own.” Eddie stated, taking a breath. You hadn’t thought of that, though your thoughts were a bit scrambled in general at the moment. But, nevertheless, Eddie’s words resonated with you.

“You’re right, ‘m sorry for making you worry..”

“I’m not– it’s fine.”

Standing back up, Eddie gestures for you to scoot over and you oblige. Now sandwiched between the two, Volt slides the forgotten glass of water in front of you. “You should drink some, just to sober up a bit, yeah?” He suggests. You start to whine but Eddie isn’t having it, “Drink the water, it’s non-negotiable” He states, tapping the side of the glass. You huff and drink a tiny sip, drinking some more when Eddie gives you a look. “How are you feeling overall?” Volt hums, his arm draping over your shoulder and rubbing your arm a bit. “Tired, nauseous–” You start. “Don’t throw up.” Eddied interjected. “I wasn’t planning on it?” You reply, rolling your eyes. 

Volt laughs at the banter, “That’s our live wire. You’re definitely feeling better if you’re giving Eddie an attitude” He comments. You sigh, leaning against Eddie, your eyes fluttering close. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your bed?” He asks, seemingly opposed but shifting to make you more comfortable. You say nothing, shaking your head as a response, turning to nuzzle your face into the crook of his neck. “You smell good.” You hum sleepily, inhaling his scent deeply. Sober you would be absolutely mortified by your drunk actions but that was a tomorrow problem. Volt snickered, coughing into his hand in a poor attempt to disguise it. He busied his hands, taking hold of your legs and lifting them up into his lap, stroking your calf gently as your breathing begins to even out.

Eventually, the pair felt your body relax completely, a clear indicator that you were asleep. “Should we take them to Betty?” Eddie asked quietly as his hand hesitantly came to stroke your side. “What? You don’t want to be their bed for the night?” Volt teased, smiling widely as a blush bloomed across Eddie’s face. “No. Skylar’s eventually gonna run outta charge and we have no idea of knowing when.” He stated, looking off to the side. “That’s true.. But do you really think they’re going to let us move them? They look mighty comfortable snuggled up next to you.” Volt chuckles, vaguely gesturing at your sleeping form. You were completely pressed against Eddie, face in his neck, one arm loosely wrapped around his waist, while your legs were resting on Volt’s lap. Eddie closed his eyes, huffing in response, he knew Volt was right.

“I didn’t finish closing.”

“Hm.”

“All that prep work is gonna be a bitch tomorrow.”

“Right.”

“But…”

“But?”

“I guess I don’t mind.. staying here… like.. this.”

This time Volt didn’t tease, just hummed slightly, acknowledging Eddie’s words. And so they sat, the two of them with you sandwiched in between them. “You know.. if this is the only way to get you to slow down and take a break, maybe our live wire should get drunk more often.” Volt commented, smirking slightly when Eddie groaned. “God no. They better not make this a habit, you’re both already enough to deal with sober. We don’t need to add alcohol in the mix.” He muttered. There was a brief silence before Volt spoke again. “You really care about them, hm?” Volt asked softly, knowing that being vulnerable wasn’t Eddie’s strong suit. Eddie stayed silent for a moment. “I mean, yeah. Don’t you?” He replied, the question rhetorical. 

“Of course, I just didn’t know about all your worries, have you always felt like that?” Volt continued, his eyes somber. “Not always but recently.. I don’t know. I guess you can say they’ve grown on me. And it doesn't help that this house is so big and that they're so clumsy. Anything can happen and we’d be none the wiser.” Eddie explained, his eyes downcast as he continued to rub your side gently. He sighed deeply, looking as though admitting his worries took years off his lifespan. “I really didn’t mean to be so.. y’know? They can just be so careless sometimes and it’s concerning. But I could’ve chosen my words better.” He admits. Volt nods, “You’ve never been too good with people. But you’re good with them, you apologize and explain your reasoning. I think they understand and don’t hold it against you.” Volt replies, reaching over to pat Eddie’s shoulder. 

A beep emanated from your glasses, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere, most likely indicating a low charge.

“I guess that’s our cue.” Eddie muttered, his grip on your shirt tightening slightly. “Do you want to take them or should I?” Volt asked, knowing that at least one of them should stay behind, just to keep an eye on the Breaker Box. Eddie lifted you off of him slightly, pausing as you mumbled something incoherent, before looking to Volt. “You can take them. I’ll stay here.” He answers. Volt gives him a look, almost as if to say, “Are you sure?” But Eddie waves him off. Volt gently moves your legs off him, moving to stand and swiftly takes you into his arms. Immediately, you're nuzzling into his neck next, as if your body craves that closeness. “I had no idea our live wire was so cuddly.” He comments, his head dipping down to kiss your forehead. Eddie says nothing as he stands as well, moving towards you and planting a chaste kiss on your cheek. Already feeling Volt’s stare and hundred watt smile, Eddie groans.

“Don’t say shit.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“But you want to.”

“Nope, I’m so serious about this.”

“...you’re smiling.”

And it was true, Volt was smiling, glad to know both of them have mutual feelings toward you. “I’ll be back.” He says, making his way to the entrance. Eddie nods silently watching the two of you leave. God, you were going to be the end of him.

The next morning, you woke up with the worst cotton mouth you’ve ever experienced to date. And the pounding in your head made it no better. You were for sure saying no to Beverly next time she offered bottomless taste testing. You turn over, placing your pillow over your face, in a poor attempt to block out the sun. You could just close Curt and Rod but if you got up, you were afraid the vertigo would hit you hard. Eventually, you removed the pillow, only to notice something on your nightstand. A glass of water, a small cup with three pills in it, and a note. Undoubtedly from Eddie and Volt, just from the tone alone.

Don’t be such an idiot next time.

Feel better live wire!

- E & V

tanzaniiite © 2025 — all rights reserved. do not repost, modify, or copy. do not plagiarize. thank you.

THE MUSIC TONIGHT WAS SMOOTH, low, and easy to ignore. Just the way you liked it when you were working. Jazz filtered through the ceiling like warm air through a vent, somewhere between syrupy and sleepy. You figured Volt was the one who queued the playlist. He always had a flair for whatever matched the mood.

The Breaker Box had been packed since noon. A busy crowd, full house. Even Dorian was sitting down with a drink for once. Laughter and conversation echoed against the club’s soft-lit walls. The electricity in the room was both literal and social.

Then thunder rattled through the floorboards.

The dateables jumped slightly at the sudden noise as the lights flickered overhead. You frowned, head turning just in time to see them stabilize again. The lights were steady again, but not confidently so.

Gnawing on your lip, you glanced toward the stage. There was that barely-there wrinkle in Volt’s expression. He was smiling, of course, but something about it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

There’d been a tropical storm hanging over your heads all week. Nothing you could fix, not directly. Power had been temperamental ever since. All anyone could do was ride it out.

Still, your brain wouldn’t stop spiraling. You started running through your mental list, instinctively cataloging all the things you might have to deal with. Hector was still keeping the place warm—bless him. Wyndolyn and Dorian were tucked safely inside, even with the storm. Wallace was holding steady, and you trusted him to keep the foundation solid. Freddy’s pantry stock could last another week if no one got greedy. Everything was holding.

But for how long?

Before you could get too deep into the thought spiral, you felt the press of a familiar thumb smoothing out the worry line between your brows.

"You’ve got that look on your face again," Eddie said, voice low as he slid a glass toward you. Clear soda, fizzy and cold, with a swirly straw already tucked inside. You took it with a sigh, leaning forward to take a sip.

"What look?"

"That look that says you’re about to do something stupid."

"Am not…" you mumbled, but it sounded weak even to you.

The soda was just sweet enough to cut through the buzz of nerves you hadn’t realized were building in your chest. You shifted deeper into your bar stool, knees drawn up against the rung, fingers tapping the condensation on the glass.

The overhead lights flickered again. Barely. But you caught it.

Eddie did too. You could see it in the way his shoulders went tense for just a second before he rolled them back.

The mental checklist flared back to life. The panels in the hallway. The fuse. The fridge temp. Eddie had patched the second-floor lighting loop yesterday but hadn’t looked rested since. Volt hadn’t slept more than four hours in a row all week.

"Don’t," Eddie muttered, like he could hear the thoughts scraping across your brain again.

You didn’t respond.

He leaned in, elbow brushing yours, and reached for the rag in his back pocket like he needed something to do with his hands.

"I didn’t even say anything," you murmured into your straw.

"You don’t need to. I know you." Eddie’s voice softened.

And then—without warning—he leaned in and kissed you.

It was gentle, brief, and entirely grounding. You froze, just long enough to feel it. His lips warm against yours, steady in a way that made the air go quiet in your chest.

When he pulled back, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

The jazz was still going, curling through the bar like smoke. Volt had shifted the vibe. It was something lighter now, playful and bright. You could hear his voice from the stage, teasing and smooth, filling the room with practiced ease.

You leaned your cheek into your hand. "I just wanna get ahead of things, that’s all. Check the system, run diagnostics, and tighten the grounding lines. It’s not like I’m gonna climb onto the roof during the storm."

"You say that like I haven’t seen you do worse. Remember that time you tried to clean the roof?"

Your face scrunched. "That was one time."

"You nearly fell into the chimney and down into Dante."

"I didn’t! I—" you paused. "...Okay, yeah, I almost did. But that was months ago."

Eddie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. He didn’t argue. Just passed you a coaster and started wiping down the edge of the counter.

"You always think it’s your job to keep this whole place running. Storm or no storm."

You shifted in your seat. The ice in your glass crackled as it settled.

"I mean, I am the homeowner. Kind of comes with the territory, doesn’t it?"

Eddie made a sound—half snort, half sigh—as he leaned both elbows onto the counter beside you. "That doesn’t mean you’ve got to run yourself into the ground every time the lights flicker."

You didn’t answer right away. The soda fizzed gently between your hands, cool against your palms. Somewhere beyond the curtain, you could hear Volt sweet-talking Keyes into playing again. His voice was always so lilting, persuasive, impossible to say no to.

Eddie didn’t press. He never really did. He just waited, steady and present in the way only Eddie could be. After all, he was wired into the house as much as the breaker box was.

After a beat, you shrugged. "I don’t like sitting still when I know something’s off. You know that."

"Yeah," he said, voice low. "I know."

You both fell quiet again, letting the buzz of the bar fill the space between you. The soft glow of the club shimmered off the countertop. Overhead, the lights gave another little twitch, subtle enough that most people wouldn’t have noticed.

But you noticed. And Eddie noticed you noticing.

You caught his eye before he could say anything. "Just let me take a quick look at the panel. Five minutes!"

He frowned, but only for a second. "Ten minutes," he said. "And if you’re late—even by a second, I’m locking you out of the club."

"Har har," you muttered, rolling your eyes as you slid off the barstool.

You were halfway to removing your glasses when Eddie reached out, catching you gently by the wrist and pulling you closer. He pressed a kiss to your forehead. It was soft, lingering, a silent plea buried in the touch.

"Be careful," he murmured.

"I will," you said, offering a small smile before finally slipping the Dateviators off.

The club vanished in an instant.

Velvet walls dissolved into drywall. Swirling lights became a single flickering bulb overhead. The hum of conversation and jazz cut out like a severed cord, and suddenly you were back in your closet.

You took a breath. Let your eyes adjust.

It always smelled like copper and old detergent in here. Always a little damp, too. It was like the inside of a forgotten washing machine. The fusebox stood open in front of you, wires fanned out like ribs, humming faintly in the quiet.

You knelt and reached for Tony by the handle.

He rattled in protest as you dragged him closer, the sound bouncing off the cramped walls like a warning.

"Just help me out," you sighed, giving his lid a fond pat before popping him open with a familiar, quiet click.

Inside was your usual mess of tools and knick-knacks. They were well-loved, slightly disorganized, but reliable. You got to work without hesitation, sleeves rolled to your elbows, fingers moving with the kind of ease that only comes from years of hands-on labor. It was muscle memory by now. Deep in your bones.

Back in Valdivian, when you worked maintenance for the old residential towers, they’d throw you into half-dead substations at two in the morning with nothing but a rusted flashlight and shitty instant coffee. This? This was nothing. No voltage rating too weird. No wiring tangle too impossible. You’d handled worse on four hours of sleep and a vending machine granola bar.

The breaker panel creaked open.

Inside, it was warm.

…Too warm.

You tapped the voltage reader to a grounding line and frowned. That was way too much draw.

"Okay…" you murmured, eyes narrowing. "Where are you bleeding from?"

You isolated the cluster and went in, easing the insulation aside with your pliers. At first glance, the wire looked fine—dusty, maybe a little worn, but intact.

Then you turned it. Just slightly.

It snapped clean through.

There wasn’t even time to react.

The spark hit fast and hard, punching through your glove like it wasn’t even there. Heat shot through your palm and then the pain followed; Tight, bright, and crawling up your arm like it was trying to burrow beneath the skin.

You jerked back with a choked gasp, slamming into the opposite wall of the closet. The impact knocked the breath right out of you.

"FUCK—!"

You crumpled halfway down the wall, hand clutched to your chest, breath coming shallow and fast. The pain pulsed up your arm, hot and deep. Your fingertips were tingling now, and not in a good way.

Something had torn through. Maybe an arc fault, maybe a surge from the backup line. Whatever it was, it hit harder than you’d expected.

Tony rattled behind you in alarm, one of his hinges clicking open like a gasp.

"I’m fine," you muttered automatically, voice too thin to be convincing.

Tony didn’t buy it. A screwdriver rolled out of his open mouth and tapped your ankle.

You exhaled sharply through your nose and shoved yourself upright again, ignoring the sting climbing up your wrist. 

You flexed your fingers. Still moving.

...Eh, that was good enough.

"Right. Just let me finish," you hissed, more to yourself than anyone else.

Tony let out a long creak of protest as you bent back over the panel.

The wire ends blurred slightly as your vision swam, but you blinked it away. You worked one-handed at first. Then both, when you couldn’t reach the fuse clip without your dominant hand. The scorched skin near your knuckles protested every touch, nerves whining under your skin like a frayed cable, but you didn’t stop.

You were in too deep. Literally and figuratively.

The load was unstable, yes—but manageable, if you could redistribute it manually until the storm eased off. You adjusted one of the terminal screws, moving slow and careful to avoid another live burst. Your fingers trembled the whole time, but you forced them steady.

"I’ve got you," you whispered to the wires, not sure if you meant the house or yourself.

Tony squeaked again, louder now.

"Shush," you muttered, not looking back. "I’m already done."

Finally, with a slow exhale, you tightened the last connection. The screw clicked back into place under your trembling fingers, and you reinforced the grounding line with a fresh strip of tape. Your hands weren’t steady, but they were sure. It was done. Stable now.

Or at least as stable as anything could be, with the wind still howling against the siding and the gutters outside wailing.

Looked like the storm had knocked out one of the outdoor subpanels. It sent a surge straight back through the grounding loop. No wonder the readings were jumping earlier. Honestly, it was a miracle the club hadn’t gone dark mid-Volt’s opening.

You sagged back against the wall, letting out a low, shaky breath. "Alright. That should hold. Just need to monitor the current and—"

"Ow!" you yelped when something thwacked you in the shin.

You looked down just in time to see the Dateviators get nudged your way. They scraped across the floor and bumped gently against your foot.

You blinked at them. Then at Tony, whose lid had popped all the way open now, one tiny hinge trembling like a furious eyebrow.

"I know, I know…" you murmured, dragging the glasses toward you with your good hand.

You barely got them to your nose when the space in front of you shimmered. It flickered once and then Tony materialized, right where the fusebox used to be.

"You absolute manic lunatic, what the hell do you think you’re doin’? Huh? This what we’re doin’ now? Fryin’ your fingers like mozzarella sticks on a Tuesday? Do I look like I enjoy seein’ your nervous system light up like Lux!?"

You blinked up at him. "Hi, Tony."

"Don’t 'Hi, Tony' me. Don’t you even start with me right now! You shoulda been toast! I was five seconds away from launching a wrench at your forehead!"

You sat there on the floor, scorched hand cradled carefully in your lap, Tony’s voice ricocheting off the breaker box walls like a one-man riot.

He waggled a finger at you. "Oh-ho-ho, wait till Eddie and Volt sees this. They’re gonna short their whole damn panel—melt the floor—detonate, maybe! I should pop you like a lightbulb myself and save 'em the trouble—"

"Don’t tell them!" you blurted, tugging your jacket sleeve down to cover the burn. "Please, just—just let me fix it before they find out. I can wrap it, I’ll be fine."

Tony stopped mid-stride, arms folding over his strong frame. The look he gave you was somewhere between pity and rage.

"Look, sweetheart. Get your boys to yell at you before I do," he said flatly.

You hesitated. Glanced down at your hand again. The skin was darkened and red, the ache still pulsing from wrist to elbow. 

You looked back at Tony. "...They’re gonna freak out."

He raised a brow. "Good."

The Dateviators sat heavy on your nose. Tony just glared.

You sighed. The long, exhausted kind that came from knowing you were very much not in control anymore.

Then you aimed the glasses at the fusebox.

And the world shifted again.

Velvet walls folded in back around you. Warm golden lights washed over polished wood. The club pulsed with life again. There was laughter, clinking drinks, and a low buzz of energy rising.

You swayed a little on your feet. The warp was sharper than usual. It was like the space hadn’t fully settled around you yet. Or maybe that was just the part where your arm still felt like it was on fire.

Tony was still stepping into the fusebox behind you, muttering something under his breath, but you didn’t wait. You slipped away, moving fast through the side hall, ducking through one of the back passages to avoid the club floor. The last thing you wanted was attention. If you could just make it to the storage room, grab some bandages—

"Live wire?"

Eddie.

His voice cut through the air like a breaker snapping back into place.

He didn’t speak, not right away. His boots scuffed once on the tile, and then he just stood there, staring. Like the air had been sucked out of the room.

His eyes found your wrist—burned, half-wrapped in your sleeve—then tracked slowly up to your face.

For a moment, his expression didn’t shift. It didn’t go soft or angry or worried.

It just… paused.

Then he crossed the distance.

"What the hell," he said, voice quiet and flat, and it was somehow so much worse than shouting. "What the hell is this, huh?"

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. The adrenaline had worn off completely now. Your pulse was crawling, the burn was starting to throb in full force, and all the justifications you’d rehearsed in your head suddenly felt stupid and small.

Eddie didn’t wait for an answer.

"Sit down." He was already dragging a bar stool over, one-handed, like it weighed nothing. "Sit back. Don’t argue."

"I wasn’t gonna—"

"Baby, you're always gonna," he muttered, crouching beside you. His hands were already at work, digging behind the breaker cabinet where he always stashed an emergency kit. "You always do this. Can’t leave well enough alone, can you?"

"I had to—"

“You didn’t.” He didn’t snap it, but the sharpness was there—clean and cutting, wrapped in worry. “You just wanted to. Don’t twist it.”

You tried to explain, voice small. “I didn’t want the load to jump to the upper panel. Volt’s been compensating for the storm. If it caught the stage loop—”

“Oh, so now it’s his fault?” Eddie barked, louder now. “That your wrist looks like it brushed up against a goddamn arc weld? That you didn’t call anyone? You think we wouldn’t have dropped everything?”

“I think you’ve both been working yourselves sick for a week straight,” you said, biting back tears. “And the last thing either of you needed was—”

“Eddie? Live wire?”

Volt’s voice broke through the air like a wire snap. There was a pause, and then his footsteps followed.

"I heard something," he said, rounding the corner. "Tony said something was..." His voice faltered, then dropped. 

You didn’t turn. You didn’t have to.

Volt’s eyes landed on your wrist—and he went still. The air around him shifted.

Then his outline flickered.

"What happened."

Blue.

Brilliant, sharp, electric blue. It crawled up his spine in jagged pulses, lighting veins beneath his skin like glass tubing, like lightning caught in a bottle. The whites of his eyes burned.

"Oh. No. No, no, no," he said. But his voice was warping now. It was buzzing at the edges, tinged with a crackle like voltage under strain. He stepped forward, and every step left behind the faintest scorched mark on the floorboards. "You’re joking. You’re—this is a joke, right?"

"Volt—"

"Live wire," he breathed. And your name, on his tongue, was a current. "You’re burned."

"It isn’t—" you started.

"Don’t." His finger pointed at you, trembling with charge. Arcs of light whispered across his knuckles. "Don’t you dare say it wasn’t that bad."

"It was just the panel—"

"Just the panel!?" he echoed.

The lights in the room surged then dipped low. You heard a crack-pop behind the wall. Somewhere behind you, a wire sparked.

You flinched.

Volt was glowing now. His entire form buzzed, casting a ghost-light onto the walls. Blue and unearthly. His voice, when it came, was low and shaking with something barely held back.

"You were working alone," he said, every word echoing, "on a surge panel. In a storm. While both of us were just floors away. And you thought that was fine? That we didn’t need to know?"

You curled in on yourself. His anger wasn’t hot. It was storm-born. Dangerous in the way of lightning you could feel before it hit.

Eddie saw your fear immediately.

"Volt. Calm it," he said tightly. "I let them go. Just didn’t think they’d be this reckless about it."

His voice wasn’t defensive, but it was a grounding wire. Eddie stood firm, and Volt, for all his buzzing edges, met the look and froze. Like he hit resistance.

"They're already hurt," Eddie said again, firm. "Don’t make it worse."

Volt blinked. The light in his skin flickered then dimmed. The hum dropped a few notches, no longer shaking the air.

He exhaled sharply, and the energy recoiled from his hands like it had been shocked. His glow softened to a simmer.

Then he dropped to his knees beside you.

His hand hovered, still faintly glowing. "I’m sorry, live wire," he murmured, voice ragged. "I just—Gods. When I saw your wrist—"

"I know," you whispered. "I just didn’t want to worry you."

Volt made a broken sound and sat down hard beside you.

"Sweetheart," he muttered, dragging his hand down his face. It left a trail of fading light. "That’s the only thing you accomplished."

Eddie didn’t speak right away. He focused on your wrist, peeling your sleeve back carefully.

"Let me see." His voice was back to its steady, quiet steel. "Pulse is fine. No full conduction. Burn’s surface-deep but could’ve been worse. We cool it now."

You hissed when the cold pack hit. Eddie braced your arm gently.

"You scared the shit out of us," he muttered. Still working, still checking. "You didn’t just brush a line. That’s an exit burn. You’re lucky it didn’t arc through your ribs."

"You said ten minutes—" you whispered.

"I said ten minutes," Eddie repeated, "not 'go get electrocuted in the closet.'" His glare wasn’t mean, but the exasperation in it ran deep, richer than sarcasm, heavier than anger. "You could’ve passed out. Alone. We could’ve found you goddamn hours later."

"Tony was with me. And I had it under control," you murmured, guilt crawling up your throat.

You blinked fast, trying to shake it off, but the tears came anyway. You hated crying in front of them. Hated the tight quiver in your chest, the way your breath wouldn’t stay even. But with Eddie bracing your wrist and Volt kneeling beside you, electricity still faintly humming through his skin, you couldn’t stop it.

"I thought I had it," you added, voice cracking.

Volt made a sharp sound and reached up to brush a tear from your cheek with the back of his knuckle.

"I mean, for someone supposedly in control," Volt said slowly, "you did come out looking like a fork that kissed a socket."

He tilted his head. "Oh, dear. If we weren’t the ones fussing over you, Daisuke would’ve had your head."

You let out a weak laugh, rough and wet. Volt’s grin softened, flickering to life again like a current catching.

"There you are," he murmured, tilting your chin up. "You know I can’t function when you cry. My circuits short. I start sparking in weird places."

Eddie rolled his eyes, but didn’t pull away. His thumb pressed softly into the crook of your elbow. "You need to lie down."

Volt nodded. "You've read my mind, darling."

He reached forward, one arm sliding under your knees as Eddie steadied your back. You let them lift you, careful and warm. Your injured arm stayed elevated, the cold pack still pressing against the burn.

"You can yell at us later," Volt said, adjusting you against his chest. "For now, let us take care of you."

"You’re just gonna lock me in your room," you mumbled into his shirt.

"Absolutely," he said, brushing a kiss to your temple. "Fuse privileges officially revoked. Until further notice."

"Indefinitely?" you croaked.

"We’ll renegotiate at the end of the fiscal year," Eddie muttered, brushing the back of your hand. "Assuming you survive your next bright idea."

They moved together, seamlessly syncing their steps. You sagged into their support, letting the last of the panic bleed out of you.

"Spark," Eddie said again, low and just for you. "Let us be scared. Let us be here."

You didn’t have an answer. Just another trembling breath—and a nod.

The problem was, you were always exhausted. Mostly due to your insomnia. It didn’t matter how much Betty tried to make you comfortable, or how warm or cold Hector made sure your room was, or how soft Mateo ensured the blankets were, you could never fall asleep easily—if at all.

Once you had discovered the ease at which you drifted off when sandwiched between your generous boyfriends, you almost never tried to sleep without them. Volt never saw this as a problem, mind you. He loved to be touching you in some way, and he loved it when you would ask to stay over. You were just so adorable, how was he supposed to deny you a good night of sleep? He would never decline having you curled up in his arms.

Eddie, however, while enjoying having you with them, he was at the end of the day a workaholic, and having you drag him to bed early every night made him feel like he was falling behind on his work and all the much needed maintenance throughout the bar. Whether he was really behind, or if it was just his paranoia from years of falling apart, well, who was to say?

But you always offered to help him on days the bar was closed and before they opened every night. You would enjoy the show, and Volt would slip away after as he often did. You weren’t really sure where he went, but you knew you could trust him. Likely just taking some time to himself after socializing and buttering up every guest.

You would help Eddie close up the bar after everyone left and then he would go back to maintenance with you hot on his tail. You had gotten good at handling tools and learning what to do when certain problems arose, but Eddie never left you completely on your own. Eventually, something would come up and he would take over the brunt of the repairs, and you would sit close by, leaning your head back against the wall.

You watched his forearms tense and flex as he screwed the panel back in, blowing his hair out of his face with a concentrated gaze. You smiled as he huffed a breath, finally setting the tool down.

“All done?” You asked, fighting back a yawn.

He glanced over at you, the corners of his lips turning up slightly as you blinked sleepily at him. “Not yet, live wire. Why don’t you head to bed? I’ll join you in a little bit.”

You frowned with a bit of a whine. “No, I don’t wanna just lay there. What’s left to do?”

“I just need to flip the power back on and make sure everything is running right,” he says, wiping his hands absentmindedly on a rag.

“Isn’t that Volt’s job?” You questioned, always interested in learning more about them.

He sighed. “It’s Volt’s job to direct the power to the right places. He can’t do that if there is none.”

“Oh,” you said quietly. You reached your arms up, grabbing at the air until he pulled you up, tucking you under his arm. “Can’t you test everything in the morning?”

He chuckled, “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

“Nope,” you said, popping the ‘p’. “You’re getting in the way of my sleepy time,” you told him matter of factly. 

You knew that despite his grumble, he could never be truly irritated with you. The fond smile on his face and the warmth in his eyes told you as much. “Fine, just let me flip the breaker on.”

You leaned into him as you walked to the backroom, flipping the breakers back on. How there was a breaker box inside your breaker box, you didn’t know, but it was something you didn’t want to think about for too long. Especially when you were as tired as you were.

Eddie closed the door and latched it before gently lifting you up. You yelped in surprise, wrapping your arms around his neck as he held you, walking the two of you up to the loft room.

When the door opened, you were surprised to see Volt, already stripped to his boxers and laying face down on the bed. Eddie sighed and rolled his eyes, and you couldn’t help the giggle that escaped your lips. Carefully, Eddie set you down and started getting ready for bed. You stripped out of your pants and hoodie and climbed into the bed slowly.

Volt’s arm was wrapped around the pillow under his head, bicep flexed. The blankets were low enough to reveal his lean back and the dimples above his behind. His white hair was much dimmer when he was asleep, more of a low blue color, but it was still a mess.

Tentatively, you reached out, brushing the odd lightning strands out of his face and tucking them behind his ear. Your hand trailed down, gently rubbing his back. His white eyes slowly cracked open, and he smiled when he saw you.

“Hey there, sleeping beauty,” you said softly. “Mind if I join you?”

His eyes lit up, and he shifted slightly, yawning as he rolled over, his chest and abs contracting as he stretched. “You know you’re always welcome, live wire.” 

He held his arm out, holding the blanket open for you as you crawled in, your side to his chest, and he pressed a soft kiss to the crown of your head. After settling the blanket around you both, he ran his fingers through your hair, and you hummed at the soothing feeling.

You opened your eyes to find Eddie looking at you, and you grinned as he climbed into the bed on your other side, facing you. Gently, he cupped your jaw and pressed his lips to yours, his stubble scratching your skin lightly.

He let his smile show for the two of you as he rested his forehead against yours. A moment later, he was scooting down to lay his head against your chest, your heartbeat soothing him into relaxation. 

Your hand trailed over his back softly, tracing the contours of his muscle, feeling him relax. You tucked your face against Volt’s neck, letting your eyes drift shut as he rested his arm across you, hand resting on Eddie’s head. Eddie’s arm was wrapped tightly around you, and within seconds he was asleep.

Volt pressed a kiss to your temple. “You can rest, spark,” he whispered. “We’ll still be here when you wake.”

It was as though your mind had been waiting to get permission to fully shut down, relaxing your body into sleep. 

You didn’t know it, but Volt enjoyed watching the two of you sleep all cuddled up with each other and him. Even though he was tired, he forced himself to stay awake just to soak in the moment.

Eventually, he did fall asleep right alongside the two of you, his heart fuller than he knew possible.

A/N: I hope you liked it!

Let me know if you want to be on the tag list!

Tyrell- Now, he's one of the household objects that has had experience with kids. And, it was not fun. You have to promise him that you're going to respect his boundaries. He's not going to get cut up into work rags on your watch.

The one that actually bridges the gap is his little buddy. The kids love the fun animal shapes! At first Tyrell looks like he's going to pass out. But, when nothing happens, he's a little less apprehensive.

It will take him a bit to actually be comfortable interacting (as his towel self, they can see his personality version), so swimming or anything else that needs to dry off will have to wait a few times if them being over.

Curt and Rod- the other ones that have been in a house that has had kids in it. They actually like having kids over. Maybe not for having kids live in the house, but a visit or two is nice. They're like the cool uncles. Though, Curt does like kids a bit more than Rod though.

Hide-and-seek? You bet! There would be a set of little feet hiding behind the curtains, giggles going crazy. "Keep it quiet, little dude! You're gonna get caught!" Curt would hush them!

"Nah! There's no way! We got you, kid!" Rod would laugh, neither of them think about the fact the kids can't even hear them.

Washford and Drysdale- One of them is actually alright with having kids over and the other loathes it.

Washford, who has to do the heavy work of getting everything out of the clothes from dirt to apple juice to paint is fine, almost happy with the extra work. Children getting dirty means children learning! And, if cleaning a bit more than usual is what it takes for them to be curious about the world around them, then he's more than willing to do that.

Drysdale, who literally just has to dry the clothes when they're ready is practically dying. He's all for physical fitness, but he feels like he's been going in circles the whole damn day! Don't those things ever stop making messes?!

Kopi- Oh, she doesn't know if she would get along with kids. They aren't supposed to have coffee, and that's like her thing. Oh, she can make water for premade hot cocoa though! Or, maybe tea?

She ends up being a big hit if the kid visits during a cold month. Sometimes she'll team up with Hector to crank up the air so even if it's not too cold outside you all can still enjoy making a hot drink with each other.

Beverly- Is a sweet person, and would like to see the kids... but, you know. Can't have alcohol around where littles could get into it.

At first, she was going to get completely banned to the laundry room, but then she and you got an idea. Moving things over in the cupboard (and telling Mitchell to get over it), you put all the kid-unfriendly drinks out of reach, and left out the bar, some plastic cups, and a shaker.

She couldn't remember the last time, if ever, she ran a lemonade stand! And, lemonade does taste better when you make it one cup at a time and shake it to mix everything. All in all, it's a very sticky, but very fun time.

Rebel- They thought they would hate kids.

They have never felt more fulfilled in their entire life.

They're not just a Rebel during water playtime. Duck no! They're a submarine! Now, they're a shark! Now, they're an airplane! Now, they're a shark airplane! Now, they're a grandma in the mountains selling bubbles and cats!!

Will never admit that they enjoy playing though. Makes their tough image hard to keep up. Says they're just doing it to not be a jerk to the kid playing with them.

Eddie and Volt- No. Absolutely not. Electricity and children do not mix; for safety and socially. Those little caps you put into the wall outlets that keep kids from hurting themselves? How that translates to whatever they place the furniture people all live, and like jump in and out of like a Mario 64 painting, is the BreakerBox being boarded up like a natural disaster is going to happen.

They're actually just huddled in their room like a zombie apocalypse movie. When something gets uncovered, they tense up like something is going to eat them.

"I can't keep doing this, Eddie," Volt sobs, "Why does that little human keep trying to stab us with pencils!?”

"Just stay strong, Volt," Eddie tries to soothe his partner as well as himself, "Livewire would never let anyone get hurt. Us or the kids."

Dorian- He doesn't like kids. They're loud, they leave doors open or slam them closed, and just aren't something he's up for dealing with.

When the kid gets there though, a dad mode he didn't even know existed clicks on.

It is his sworn duty to keep doors closed, especially to places like the bathrooms and laundry room to keep this tiny thing safe.

If the kid manages to pinch their fingers when closing a door, this man is almost inconsolable. He didn't mean to close that fast, and now this kid he wanted to keep safe is crying. Even when you tell him the kid was startled more than hurt, he would still take it hard.

“Cocktail or mocktail?”

“Mocktail, please.” You happily respond as Beverly grabs a strainer, shakers and mixing glass from the bar in front of her.

“So you're going to the Breaker Box tonight?”

Warmth floods to your cheeks - were your evening habits really that predictable? - but you try not to show it.

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, you only order cocktails if you plan on going to bed straight afterwards. Mocktails, on the other hand, are something you order if you have plans later…” She trails off with a light blush on her face. “I'm not trying to pry! I just heard that you like to visit the Breaker Box at night, so I put two and two together.”

You're in awe at the way Beverly masterfully pours your mocktail into a glass - bartending truly is an art, and she has refined her craft (minus the occasional broken glass).

She slides the glass over to you with an expectant look as you take a sip.

“Wow, Bev, this is really good!” You shower her with praise, which causes her to blush harder. “Don't worry - even though I'm a regular at the Breaker Box, you're still my favorite bartender.”

With a wink, you take another sip of your glass as Beverly does her best not to drop her bartender equipment. 

“Re-Really?” She shyly asks as you nod. “That means so much to me!”

As you finish the rest of your drink, Beverly cleans the bar and prepares to close for the night.

“I'll see you soon, Bev!” You wave to her before exiting the bar.

She happily waves back as you open the door, which pulls you from the interior of Bev's bar to the middle of your kitchen.

You quickly take your dateviators off as the sun sinks further into the horizon.

Although Beverly was right - you were going to the Breaker Box tonight - you just didn't feel like drinking tonight.

A familiar ding! from your phone causes a pit in your stomach to form as you check your messages.

???: Why do you keep blocking the numbers I text you with?

Just talk to me. That's all I want. One simple conversation with you so we can fully end our relationship.

You scoff at the thought of ‘fully ending your relationship’, since that has yet to be the result of one of these conversations. You talk, they somehow get all sappy and romantic on you, you take them back until you remember how toxic they were, and you block them until they manage to break down your walls, chip by chip. 

You ended things with them, permanently, six months ago, and it was the longest you had ever been without them since you met. You had felt yourself start to slip back into that toxic cycle when the dateviators arrived at your door.

Since then, you haven't had the need to check your phone for their messages, and if you happen to see them, you'd just block each number that came through.

Something about tonight, however, causes you to falter. Maybe it's the fatigue from the day, or the lack of sleep due to Nightmare's sudden appearance last night, but you're considering sending something back to your ex.

Damn, maybe I should've had Beverly make me a cocktail.

For now, you're able to gracefully slide your phone into your pocket. The urge to text them passes as quickly as you came, and you find yourself drained as the end of the day approaches.

I really need a spark to help me get through the rest of today.

With as much motivation as you can muster, you walk from the kitchen to the upstairs portion of your house, where the literal breaker box awaits you.

You gently place the dateviators over your eyes, and you swing open the breaker box door in order to get to the interior of the Breaker Box.

A gentle buzz surrounds the room, from the crowd and the lighting alike, as you step away from the door.

“Hello, love,” Dorian says from behind you, “Volt's wandering around and Eddie's somewhere behind the bar. They've been looking for you since they opened - Eddie especially. Just don't tell them that I said anything, yeah?”

“Of course, Dorian, and thank you.” You look back and offer him a friendly wave before walking further into the Breaker Box.

The crowd is a bit thicker than usual, due to the open mic night that's drawn in talent from all over your house, but you're thankful for the extra time to sit with your thoughts.

You encouraged Eddie and Volt to be open with you, but would they be just as kind as you were to them? Especially with such a vulnerable topic that made you feel so weak and queasy inside?

Part of you hopes that you'll run into Volt first - his flurry of affection and sweet nothings will melt your worries away and jolt your senses back to normal. He'll sweeten you up before he notices that anything is wrong with your demeanor… hopefully.

The other part of you wants to find Eddie at the bar, so he can make you a nice drink that can nurse your worries away. You'll throw playful jabs and small teases at each other until a smile lights up your face again. There's something comforting about the apparent coldness in his eyes - a calm wave amongst the wild sea - that pulls you in every time.

You're pulled out of your thoughts by another annoying ding! on your phone, and you feel the people next to you glare as you check your phone.

???: Please, baby, I'll do anything for another chance.

Can I see you tomorrow?

You can't help but roll your eyes before stuffing your phone back into your pocket, but not before you turn your ringer to vibrate instead.

With a sour expression, you turn away from the crowd and march towards the bar. As much as you'd like to drown in Volt's presence, you really needed that fucking drink right now.

A few bartenders catch your eye, but they quickly gesture towards the end of the bar, where Eddie sits.

A distinct coldness appears to radiate from him, where no one will approach or bother him, but it softens once Eddie notices you.

His posture shifts from lackadaisical to attentive and focused as you take a seat next to him.

“Drink?” He offers while not looking your way.

You hum in response, which causes him to get up from his seat and walk around to the bar area.

“Long day?”

You turn away from the crowd and stage to look at Eddie.

“Yeah. You?”

“Always.” 

You place a hand on the counter before resting your head on it.

“What are you making me?”

“Whatever you'd like, live wire.”

Volt's nickname for you still feels foreign from Eddie's mouth, but you certainly don't mind him using it.

“Surprise me.” 

To anyone else, your conversation would sound just like any other patron-bartender conversation, but there was enough subtlety between the two of you to suggest more.

It's in the way Eddie rolls up his sleeves excruciatingly slow, so you have all the time to ogle over his forearms and hands. When he notices where your eyes are focused, a small smirk forms on his face as he softly laughs, but he chooses to say nothing.

Or maybe it's in the way that you respond, by taking off your jacket to reveal a t-shirt that lands somewhere between tight enough to reveal what's underneath and loose enough to leave something to the imagination.

Eddie definitely notices the change in your attire, given the small blush on his cheeks, but he focuses on making your drink as you feel your phone vibrate against your pocket.

Can't you just take my silence as a no, for once?

Annoyingly, you're pulled out of the intimate moment, but you do your best to refocus on what's in front of you. You set your phone on the bar table, in an attempt to forget about your ex, as a drink is slid over to you.

The vibrant colors of the cocktail lure you in for a taste, and you're pleasantly surprised by how much you like this drink. Although you weren't one for cocktails, this one just so happens to incorporate your favorite flavors into a drink that you won't forget.

Despite not opening up about your alcohol preferences, Eddie still managed to figure out what you liked.

Or maybe he asked around the house?

“So?”

Despite not trying to look for approval, Eddie leans in and looks at you expectantly - he really wants you to like what he's made.

He definitely asked someone about my preferences.

“It's wonderful, Eddie. Thank you.” You offer him a warm yet tired smile, which causes a soft blush to appear on his face.

“You're welcome.”

He begins to clean up the bartending station as the guests settle in at various booths and tables in preparation for the show tonight. You still don't see Volt among the crowd, but somehow you can still feel his energy radiating off of every surface in the room.

As Eddie settles in on the bar seat next to you, you notice that he doesn't have a drink in his hand.

“Nothing for you?”

“I'd rather drink after the show, in case anything needs to be fixed up.” Ever-the-workaholic, Eddie refuses to indulge himself until everything is taken care of. “Are you going to stay after and help?”

“Of course.”

You'd like to say more, but you're interrupted by the intentional blinking of the lights, which signals that it's almost showtime.

This is the first time that you lay eyes on Volt, who is working on charming a customer into having just one more drink for the night, but you're too distracted by Eddie to say anything.

You notice that his arm is resting on the bar table, right behind you, but he hesitates on making contact with your skin.

You smile at the gesture - he's cute without trying to be - and you lean closer to Eddie until you're resting your head on his shoulder. Then, and only then, does his arm wrap around you to pull you even closer to him.

You decide to take it one step further, by nuzzling your head in your shoulder, which causes him to grumble.

“Comfortable?” Eddie grumbles in pretend annoyance.

He's enjoying this way more than he says he is.

You simply sigh contentedly as he gives your shoulder a light squeeze.

“Good.” He murmurs softly, only for you to hear.

You do your best to hide your laughter as Volt takes the stage. His magnetic presence draws every eye from every corner of the room as he introduces the first singer for the night.

Before he leaves the stage, his eyes find yours, and he offers you a flirtatious wink. Your face heats up from the gestures, and Volt smiles at the result.

The night flies by in a blur of music and people, and you're only aware of the passage of time when Eddie occasionally squeezes your shoulder, to see if you're still awake.

This would be far from the first time that you've fallen asleep in the bar - sometimes you and Eddie worked for a long time after the bar closed, and the combination of physical and mental exhaustion caused you to fall asleep before he could offer you a drink at the bar. Or you're listening to Eddie and Volt chat about the bar, while curled up against Volt's chest, and the mix of their voices and the soft thrum of electricity is enough to lull you to sleep.

Tonight, however, sleepiness seemed to avoid you. You were tired, sure, but your eyes seemed to be screwed open. Your phone was far enough away from you, for now, but it felt like a ticking time bomb was laying next to you as you awaited your doom.

Eddie notices - of fucking course he notices, he always does - and one-too-many glances to your phone causes him to say something between the second-to-last and last act of the night.

“Is there someone you'd rather be seeing?” 

You know he's teasing, but you can't help but internally gag at the thought of your ex-lover being as close to you as Eddie is right now. You don't even want them in the same house as you, or even the same neighborhood or city.

Normally, you'd shoot back with something like, “Nobody but you, loverboy,” and you'd delight as his face discovered a new shade of pink to display on his handsome features.

But tonight didn't feel like a normal night.

Instead, you let out a deflated sigh before looking up at Eddie.

“It's quite the opposite, actually. I'd do anything to not see this person again.”

And there it slips out.

There it goes, flowing out of your mouth like a river of shit headed downstream. Luckily, you manage to save any remaining grace you have by shutting the fuck up, but the bomb's already went off.

The concern etched on Eddie's features makes your heart pound, but you still feel horrifically bad inside.

Despite being in more… compromising positions with Eddie and Volt, this is the most vulnerable you've ever felt with one of them.

And it fucking blows.

You can tell he's trying to speak, trying to say something that'll make you feel better, but the words don't come out. This isn't as simple as cutting your hand on a broken bar glass or accidentally shocking yourself with a fuse - Eddie can't gently scold you while wrapping your wound with spare bandages he keeps on hand. You wish he would pull your hand to his face, just as he would in one of those moments, to place a small kiss on the injury so “you'll feel better soon so you can get back to work”. 

You steal the words from his mouth as you try to regain control of the situation and your emotions.

“Eddie, can you please make me another drink?”

You hate how needy, desperate, and distant you sound, but you need a quick pick-me-up, and if he's not going to offer it in words or affection, then you'll drown your sorrows in booze instead.

He says nothing, opting to press a very gentle kiss on your scalp before letting go of you.

“One more, then you're cut off. Can't have you trying to hurt yourself before we do any real work.”

You softly chuckle to yourself as you refocus on the stage. The final act is just wrapping up, and soon Volt will retake the stage to thank the crowd for coming tonight. 

You find yourself awaiting his arrival as Eddie slides you another cocktail. In return, you hand him your empty glass. He dutifully begins to clean the glass as you watch him work. 

You can't believe that you're letting some person from your past ruin what's in front of you.

You find yourself wanting to apologize, but the words won't reach your lips. Besides, what would you apologize for? Being a total fucking buzzkill?

Eventually, as Volt returns to the stage, Eddie retakes his seat next to you. His arm wraps around you again - this time, he holds you just a little bit tighter as you curl up next to him.

After Volt's ending remarks, people begin to file out of the Breaker Box. They mutter praises for the bar amid their scathing reviews of each performer. You always enjoyed the extra chatter that came with the bar, and part of you always missed that when you were closing up the bar. That, however, was made up in the fact that you had Eddie and Volt's undivided attention after the bar closed.

Just as you're about to see Volt, a wave of sleepiness finally washes over you, which causes you to rest your head on Eddie's chest.

“Live wire-” He gently warns you against further action, but you choose to ignore him as you press yourself against him.

“Stop squirming. You're making me uncomfortable.” You mutter as you hear someone walk towards you.

“You're uncomfortable? What about me?”

“You'll get over it.” You mumble into his chest, and you can hear him softly laugh as he adjusts his posture to make you more comfortable.

“Fine.” He begrudgingly says before moving his arm from your shoulder to your waist in order to better support you.

You feel yourself slip into the comforting embrace of sleep, but you force your eyes open when you hear Volt's voice.

“Live wire!”

You want to get up and greet him, but you are oh-so-comfortable where you are; however, you do weakly offer him one of your hands, which Volt gladly takes.

“Tired already, my spark?” Volt says before pressing a warm kiss to the back of your hand. “I should've caught you sooner, then.”

“I was looking for you, but I couldn't find you in the crowd, so I went and sat with Eddie.” You try to hide the disappointment in your voice, but it doesn't work on Volt.

“I'm sorry to disappoint, live wire. I'll happily make it up to you later, if you'll allow me to.”

“Please do.” You sleepily say as Eddie's other hand rubs up and down your back.

“They've been out of it all night, Volt. I got them to open up, but-”

“-But?”

“-it seemed like a sore spot, so I didn't want to pry.”

“Eddie, I'm sure you could've asked them something.”

“I didn't want to push them away after all they've done for us. What if I said the wrong thing and messed it all up? What then-”

You lift your head up when your phone starts to erratically buzz on the bar table.

“Oh, for fuck's sake.” You swear under your breath before laying your head back down. “Just leave me alone. I don't want to see you anymore.”

Eddie and Volt don't speak for a moment, and you're sure that they're sharing a questioning glance about what just happened.

“Are you talking about another object? If so, you'll find that Eddie and I can be very convincing-”

“Volt.” Eddie warns his other half, who chooses to ignore him.

“No, it's another human.” You softly say with a twinge of pain in your voice. “A human I should've let go of a long, long time ago.”

There's a beat of silence, between your confession and whatever reaction awaits you from Eddie and Volt.

“A human lover, I assume?” Volt asks with bated breath.

“Ex-lover, but yeah.” You feel a bit guilty after admitting all of this, but a weight feels lifted off of your chest.

It's enough to tempt you back into sleepiness, where you feel your eyes slowly shut as the world around you dims slowly into nothingness.

You can still hear Eddie and Volt, but they sound out-of-reach and far away, despite your closeness.

“My sweet, poor little wire… I suppose it wouldn't hurt to shock some sense into this human, right?”

“Volt.”

“Worry not, my sweet Eddie. It's nothing like you're thinking.” You can hear the smile in his words, but they still have some bite and agitation to them.

“Good night.” You murmur to no one in particular as sleep finally overcomes your body.

~

Your bed happily cradles your body as you awake from your slumber. You aren't hungover from the night before, but you still can't remember exactly what happened. 

You were with Eddie for most of the night, and you remember seeing Volt after the bar closed, but that was about it.

I'm sure I'd remember if it was anything important.

As tempting as it is to roll over and go back to sleep, you have a few promises to fulfill with a few special objects in your house.

Your dateviators await you on your nightstand, along with your phone and a napkin that displays the Breaker Box logo on it.

You reach for the napkin first, and you're happy to see a small message on the napkin, written in Volt’s handwriting.

Sleep well, live wire.

~ E & V

You open the drawer on your nightstand and place the napkin with the small pile of other napkins that you've managed to collect from your nights out.

You go to grab your phone, to see if Sam or that strange Tinfoil Hat character has texted you, but you're stopped by the ring of a doorbell.

Your doorbell is ringing.

You fly out of bed before assembling a quick outfit of something that is moderately presentable. You're mindful enough to store the dateviators in a safe place, in case your company is someone who's looking for their whereabouts. 

You grab your phone as the doorbell continues to ring.

“I'm coming. Hold on!” You yell before leaving your bedroom and descending down the stairs. 

Your hand grabs the doorknob, but it refuses to open despite you unlocking it a few seconds ago.

“Dorian…” You mumble under your breath, and the door opens before you start lecturing your door.

Your mouth hangs wide open as soon as you see who's on the other side with a bundle of roses in their hand. 

“Hey.” Your ex gives you a warm smile before handing you the flowers. “I got these this morning. They made me think of you.”

“Oh… um, thank you.” You awkwardly take the flowers from them as you try to figure out what they're doing here. “Would you like to come in?”

“I would, since you're the one who invited me over.”

You move out of the way as your eyebrows furrowed in confusion - you certainly would remember texting them, right?

Your ex heads further into the house as you shut your front door and pull out your phone to check your messages.

Surely enough, there's a plentiful stream of messages between the two of you, which only serves to confuse you further. The messages you sent don't even sound like you - they alternate between being too sappy or too passive-aggressive for your texting style.

It's almost like two different people wrote them…

You shake your head as you follow your ex into the kitchen, where they have already grabbed a vase and filled it with water.

“I still remember where everything is, as strange as it sounds. I don't remember the water in your sink being that hot - is there something wrong with your water heater?” 

They place the vase on your kitchen table, and you carefully position the flowers in the vase.

“Last I checked, it was working fine.” You shrug before gesturing for them to take a seat. “Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee, please.” Your ex answers, and you happily oblige them as your mind tries to wrap itself around the predicament you're in.

It's blatantly awkward between the two of you, and you're not quite sure what to tell them about the situation you find yourself in. 

“Listen, I wanted to talk about us-” They start as you place a coffee cup next to them before you take a seat on the opposite side of the kitchen table. 

“-I do too.” You interrupt them before taking a deep breath. “I know I reached out to you last night and told you to come here, but I needed to tell you this in person.”

Awaiting your answer, your ex leans forward.

“We're done,” Your voice is shaky, but you manage to say the thing you've been wanting to say for years, “for good.”

Bewildered, they look at you before letting out a dry laugh.

“You're not serious, are you? You're just playing hard to get, right?”

“No,” You shake your head, “I'm serious.”

You want to shrink into nothingness when you sense their anger starting to emerge, but you have to stand your ground soon if you want to truly be done with this person. The part of you that would grovel and beg for their attention and grace has died, and a newfound sense of bravery emanates from you.

“You play with my feelings all night, getting all hot and cold with me, just to pull this shit?” They stand up suddenly, but you refuse to let them see any fear from you. “What is fucking wrong with you?”

You'd like to shoot that question back to them, but you don't feel like launching yourself into an argument that would make Dirk and Harper's fights look like child's play.

You, instead, turn your head away and begin to fiddle with your fingers from under the table.

“Is there someone else?”

Heat rises to your face, and your ex bitterly scoffs before slamming their hands on the table.

“I fucking knew it. You've been sleeping around, like a whore-”

“-I'm not a whore.” You respond with an equal amount of malice as you slowly rise from your seat. “And who would care if I was? We aren't together anymore.”

As the argument continues to heat up, you and your ex fail to notice the way the lights above you flicker and respond to your words.

“You're still mine-”

“-since fucking when? The last time you told me I was yours, you cheated on me three days later with my best friend!”

“That was a one-time mistake!” They scream before throwing their hands up in the air. “Are you incapable of forgiving and forgetting?”

“You broke my heart!” Your voice cracks as hot tears threaten to fall from your face. 

You're so close to cracking and allowing them to comfort you, and they know it. They just have to push your buttons a little more, and then you're theirs again.

“Fine. Go off and enjoy your other lovers. I can't wait for them to see how boring you are. When they dump you, you'll come crawling back to me, just like the pathetic little thing that you are.” 

A small tear runs down your face, and your throat is strangled by all of the words you want to unleash onto them. You feel - no, you are - a blubbering mess, and you will do anything for this argument to be over with.

A victorious smile appears on their face, but they're interrupted by the power cutting out across your house.

You thank your lucky stars as a convenient interruption will allow you to escape for a few moments. 

“Sorry, there must be something wrong with the breaker box. I'll quickly go reset the power-”

“-let me. You were always terrible with handiwork around the house.” 

Your ex brushes past you, and you take a moment to compose yourself before following them up the stairs.

“Where's the breaker box?” They ask as you reach the upstairs portion of your house.

“Second door on your right.” You say before grabbing your phone and turning on a flashlight for them to see with.

Although it was light outside, this part of your house didn't have many windows, so it was poorly illuminated without any ceiling lights.

Your ex quickly opens the door and proceeds to open up the breaker box as you provide them with enough light to work with.

“You're directing power to the wrong things. This switch should go the other way-”

As they reach out to touch a switch on the box, a forgotten conversation echoes in the back of your mind.

“My sweet, poor little wire… I suppose it wouldn't hurt to shock some sense into this human, right?”

“Volt.”

“Worry not, my sweet Eddie. It's nothing like you're thinking.” 

“Wait, be careful, you might get-” 

You try to reach out to them, but it's far too late. A loud crackle emerges from the breaker box once they touch it, and they recoil in pain.

“-shocked.”

“FUCK!” They screech as you cover your mouth with your hand. “What is wrong with your breaker box?”

“I don't know.” Choosing to play dumb, you shrug your shoulders. “Maybe you should try another switch?”

“Yeah, genius, I was planning on doing that.”

Resting their injured hand on their side, they take their other hand and attempt to touch another switch.

Your ex gets a similar result to their first attempt- a loud crackling sound followed by their howls of pain as they clutch both of their hands to their chest.

You can't help the laughter that escapes from you - this feels like sweet, sweet karmic justice after all of the times they've ripped your heart out of your chest and stomped on it.

“Oh, you think this is so funny, huh?” They grumble before hesitating to grab another switch. “Why don't you try touching a switch, jackass?”

“Sure!” You gleefully move past your ex as you shine your phone flashlight directly on the breaker box.

Instead of reaching for a switch, you place your hand on the side of the box.

A bit of electricity courses through your veins - not enough to mess with the beating of your heart, but enough to let you know that Eddie and Volt are there with you.

“Alright, show’s over, boys.” You mumble under your breath. “Help me out?”

Another jolt of power goes through your arm, which you take as a yes. Your hand goes to touch the first switch on the left, but the power turns on before you even have a chance to shock yourself.

“Thank you.” You quietly say before your ex pushes you aside.

“There's no fucking way that worked!”

You collide with one of the walls in the closet, and you grumble in pain. The hallway light flickers dangerously as your ex continues to investigate the breaker box.

“I mean, you didn't even touch anything!” 

They attempt to close the breaker box door, but you see sparks fly as their skin makes contact with the breaker box again.

They let out a loud, frustrated scream as you allow yourself to smile and laugh.

“You set this up to make me look like a fucking idiot, huh?” Your ex learns from their first three attempts as they look at the circuitry without touching it.

“I think you did that yourself, to be honest.” You mutter under your breath, and a small buzzing sound comes from the breaker box.

Almost like a nod of agreement.

“Whatever. I'm done with this shit. Where's your band aids?” They grumble to you.

“Downstairs bathroom, under the sink.” You say as they step out of the closet. “Just be careful, that door likes to get… stuck sometimes.” You give them a gentle warning about Dorian as they angrily march down the stairs.

Once they are fully out of earshot, you turn off your phone flashlight before looking at the breaker box.

“I hope you know that you would have actually killed them if you went any further,” You begin to scold Eddie and Volt, but you're powerless to fight the shit-eating grin on your face. “but that was funny and, honestly, well-deserved.”

A happy buzzing noise comes from your breaker box. They're pleased that you're pleased with their efforts. 

“I'll see you later, alright?” You quietly say before closing the breaker box for the day.

You swear you can hear a bit of buzzing, as if Eddie and Volt are chatting amongst each other, as you head down the stairs to say goodbye to a guest that has long overstayed their welcome in your house, thoughts, and heart.

Your ex seems more than happy to leave as they await your presence at the front door.

“Can't believe that the stupid band aid container closed on my hand.” They grumble as they look at their bandaged hands.

“I think it's time you go. For good.” You cross your arms and lean against the end of the stairway railing as they scoff.

“Yeah, I don't want to be in this shithole any longer than I have to.”

“Stop calling me and texting me from different numbers.” This harshness is cold and unfamiliar from you, but it seems to work as they pause before nodding and agreeing. “Get out of my house.”

“Don't have to tell me twice.” 

Your ex opens the door with ease as you stand and watch them leave.

“Don't let the door kick your ass on the way out.” You cheerfully say as they head through the doorway.

“What is that supposed to mean-” They're barely out of your house before the door slams shut in their face.

You can't help but let out a hearty laugh, one that rings all the way through your house. A weight that has been on your shoulders for years has finally been lifted, and you've never felt freer in your life.

I think it's time to properly start my day.

~

By the time night falls on your house, you're dressed in something a little more formal as you aim your dateviators at the breaker box.

You open the door to the panel of switches, and once again, you're pulled into the bar.

Dorian offers you a quick nod as you enter the bar.

“I didn't think you were coming tonight, considering today's events.”

“Oh?” You turn to face him. “You mean when you slammed the front door in the face of my ex?”

“Just doing my job - keeping the bad ones out and the good ones in.” He cracks a rare smile that you happily reciprocate.

You don't have any more time to question Dorian as Volt approaches you with an alluring smile.

“Live wire, you look fantastic tonight!” He outstretches his hand, and you gladly place your hand in his.

He bends down and kisses your hand - an unusual approach, since he usually brings your hand to his lips.

“Volt-” You try to talk to him, but he's simply not having it.

“-my spark, I simply must assure you that today's antics were entirely my fault, and Eddie had not contributed at all-”

“Volt-” You attempt to use a tone similar to Eddie's, but he continues on.

“-though, if you do have some sort of punishment in mind, I'm sure Eddie wouldn't mind taking part of the blame from my shoulders so we can experience the punishment together-”

You place your free hand on his chest, and he finally pauses long enough for you to get a word in.

“Volt, I'm not mad. I know you're trying to protect Eddie, but I'm not upset at either of you.” A gentle sigh leaves your lips. “I'm just relieved that it's finally over.”

Volt seems a bit relieved with your admission, and he pulls you closer to his chest.

“I'm glad to hear that, my light.” He softly says. “It's a slow night, so I'll be able to give you my undivided attention.”

“I like the sound of that.” You tease him back before pulling him in for a kiss.

Electricity flows through every part of your body when you kiss Volt, and this time is no exception. You wonder how your heart can continue beating at the same rhythm when he's putting this much of himself into you.

You only part for air, and when you get enough air in your lungs, Volt recaptures your lips for another hungry kiss.

He pulls you to the side, away from prying eyes as your lips continue to meet with his again and again and again. 

You're only interrupted by a quiet scoff, which causes you to pull away from Volt and look right into Eddie's eyes.

He would look pissed, to any onlooker, but there's a bit of intrigue and want in his gaze.

“Volt, don't you think you should start the show before you attract any more attention to yourself?”

Volt simply laughs before pressing one final kiss to your lips.

“Of course, Eddie,” He pauses to look at you, “but we're not finished here, live wire.”

Volt pulls himself away from you before planting a kiss on Eddie's cheek.

“I'll see you two after the show.”

With a seductive wink, he heads towards the stage as you bite your lip and turn towards Eddie.

You're full of renewed energy from being attached to Volt, so you'd love to do nothing more than pounce on Eddie and smother him in kisses and affection.

“Don't look at me like that, live wire.” His face heats up and he looks away for a moment. 

You don't want to fluster him too badly, so you choose to wrap your arms around him and press a kiss to his temple.

“...You're irresistible.” Eddie says after a brief period of heated silence.

“But you love it.” You whisper as your face gets closer to his.

You can taste the whiskey sour on his breath as he breathes out for a moment, in an attempt to slow his beating heart.

You let him make the next move, and it doesn't take long for him to close the distance and gently kiss you.

The taste of whiskey coats your mouth as his hands tightly grip your waist. He parts from you much sooner than you'd like, but he still manages to make you breathless.

“You're feeling alright?” He asks as you try to form a coherent sentence.

“Never been better.” A genuine smile appears on your lips, and his smile matches yours, just for a moment.

“Good. I'll need you to help me with a few extra repairs, since we weren't able to work last night.” 

You whine softly at the thought of working after the day you've had, but you're quickly shut up by Eddie when he gently squeezes your hips.

“I promise that Volt and I will make it worth your while.”

With that, Eddie leaves you in a flustered state as you watch Volt briefly entertain the crowd.

Chance:

Is convinced at first that you’re just messing with him when you offer him a dance. Then he realizes your serious. It completely goes over his head that you’re flirting with him and he tries to give you money at the end. He’s 100% thinking that you’re just doing what you do for your job, roleplaying that you like someone, and you don’t actually like him. Once he realizes otherwise though, he begins to get more confident. Especially when he sees you practicing. He’ll come up behind you and wrap his arms around you loosely, giving you time to move away before he starts grinding against your ass. His grip tightens.

Curt & Rod:

Absolutely throwing some playful shade at people who are throwing their money your way while simultaneously being people who throw money your way. Standing to the side, whispering to one another while they watch you about how talented you are.

Daisuke:

He writes poetry about the ways in which you move. He’s absolutely going to be there in a heartbeat while you’re practicing if you need someone to spot you. When he’s realized, with his particular line of work he falls in and the way yours has you, the two of you may even end up sitting for hours on end together while being drawn.

Dorian:

He’s less watching you and more watching everyone else who’s eyes are on you. Assessing for threats and drunkers who may have wandering hands. There are times though where he’ll glance your way and his eyes will soften. Do expect trap Dorian to make a suggestion for a private show once maybe.

Drysdale:

He’s watching with the eyes of a fellow artist. He’s taking in your technique and style. He’ll compliment you on it in ways only someone who understand can. Once he’s realized, he may even ask you for advice on how to dance in this particular way or maybe it came up before then. If he’s in a good mood, he may even agree to doing a duet with you.

Eddie & Volt:

Expect to be asked by Volt, even just teasingly, to preform at the club. If you say yes. He’s going to short circuit. Him and Eddie both. Volt will be glued down to his seat the entire time. Eddie will be half heartedly attending to people, eyes flitting between drinks and you. Both absolutely in awe of you. You’re open to preform there any time.

Farya:

She will absolutely watch you practice. She may even be tempted to touch you when you stretch and bend, wanting to feel how your body moves like it does. She’s not the biggest fan of watching you work but the art in and of itself is something she does admire. It’s not that she has a problem with what you do, she just doesn’t like how while you’re working you’re seen less as a person sometimes and more like an object so she’d much rather just watch you as you practice.

Harper:

She is there every single night. Watching you and you better make eye contact with her or blow her a kiss at least once. That’s all she wants in order to relax. A lot of conversations about how this is just your job and something you do for money. It’s not even that she’s worried about you cheating. Her accusing Dirk was less about a fear of him cheating and just of him leaving. She knows better now. She just doesn’t like the way that some people look at you. They don’t look at you the way she does with adoration and affection.

Hector:

Oh, how he adores to watch you. It’s one of his favorite things. To see you so free and expressive without having to fear about himself speaking or doing something wrong. All he has to do is bask in the glory that is you. It’s perfection.

Keyes:

Expect songs composed for you based upon your movement. It’s sped and flow, the way in which you move your hands and hips, your breath’s changes as you go through different motions and the stretch of your muscles. All of these will be included in the songs she composes about you. If you dance to them, she will be enraptured but not once does she miss a single note.

Koa:

Watching you is the epitome of beauty to him. He simply sits and stares, utterly entranced by you. Resting his chin on his hand and watching you with warm eyes.

Kopi:

Oh, she is blushing. Her eyes are flickering between you and what she’s doing, completely and utterly unfocused on what’s in her hands. If you offer her a dance, she is stumbling her way through explaining how she just likes to watch you. She does also like to listen to you explain the intricacies of each little detail.

Lyric:

Writings cannot accurately capture the delicateness of each curve, sway, and dip you do. Each is a feat he enjoys to watch. He’s looking and watching, utterly entranced, knowing there is not a way to describe with words the grace, beauty, and sensuality of which you possess.

Mateo:

When you practice, some of the inanimals are at your feet, trying to trio you up accidentally as they vie for your attention. He tried to keep them away from you at first but when you assured him they were alright and you enjoyed spending time with them while honing your craft, he let them be. He adores seeing the way you expertly avoid stepping on them and sometimes pet them with a hand or a foot while you move.

Memoria:

A glass of wine in one hand is almost a must when she watches you, only because she loves you you’ll pluck it from her and set it down right before moving to hover above her. It gives you a reason to be in her space.

Miranda:

Will you dance with her at one of her shows? Yes, she is absolutely getting distracted but if anything it makes her hit her notes better and adds a breathy note to her voice that people seem to adore. A very attractive aspect of her live shows to her audience.

Parker:

We’ve seen how this man gets about his own body. But yours? Oh, he has no reserves about that. Watching you move is something he makes no effort to hide how much he enjoys. He may even come up to you and make a comment about how with so much skin exposed, he’s tempted to bite it so people know you’re taken. chomp chomp

Reggie:

He hates watching people lust after you and one should know how he feels when he’s hateful. Whispering some things that may be degrading, just a bit. Okay, probably a lot. But when it’s just the two of you? You get back at him by throwing your clothes at his face and oh, how he hates that too.

River:

The back and forth with the grace, bends, swoops, dips, and twirls all remind her of well, herself. So very fluid. She craves to compliment you and may even ask if you’d teach her some of the basics. It makes her feel empowered to be in control of the flow of her body. With your hands occasionally guiding her? Well, it makes it all the more special.

Skips:

Honestly, at first it made him insecure. You had so many people fawning at you day after day. Why would you have any reason to come back to him? Then he’d begin to truly watch you (not everyone looking but you) and realize how your eyes closed during your performances. You weren’t paying attention to them but the feel of your body in the darkness your eyes could give you. He felt better after that realization.

Winnifred:

Oh, she loves to watch you work. Seeing you flirt and get flirted back with fills her heart. It warms her to know just how desired you are not just by her but by others as well.

Zoey: