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“Come now, don’t talk about our human that way.”

“First, she’s not our anything. Second: you’re defending her now?”

Volt flashes a wolfish smile. “You’re not intrigued? Not even the tiniest bit? ”

“No.”

“What’s the harm? I'm simply getting to know her.”

 “Of course. Because that’s something you’ve always wanted,” Eddie scoffs, rolling his eyes. 

“What can I say?” Volt puts his hands in his pockets and leans back confidently. “She sparks my curiosity.” 

Eddie answers with a scowl of disdain. “You’ve got to be fucking with me.” 

“--rather lovely, but you don’t need me to tell you that.”

“Not at all. She’s quick-witted, intelligent–.”

“Debatable.”

Eddie’s face burns with embarrassment. “Volt…” 

“And–I can’t say I’ve ever seen a human surge before. Certainly not this one.”

“What do you mean she surges?”

Volt grins, “I thought you weren’t interested.”

“For fucksake,” Eddie sighs, ready to stomp off.

Volt’s demeanor shifts from playful to sincere and quiet. “I’m not sure what else to call it, really. Occasionally, part of her head glows and arcs with electricity.”

“What the hell is it?”

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Volt smiles. “I don’t know! And that makes her all the more…fascinating.”

“Really? Fascinating?” Eddie looks askance at Volt. “That’s what you’re going with?”

Frustrated, Volt heaves a sigh of his own. “And what word would you choose, Eddie?”

“Threat.”

 “Eddie, she's no threat. Besides, I can handle anything.”

 “If you don't like that word I have others.”

 “Are any of them not an insult?”

 “What is there to compliment? The human is–.” 

“Think of it like this," Volt interjects, growing impatient. "If I’m spending time with her, she’ll be too focused on me to be a bother to you. And hasn’t that always been the point?”

“You’re wasting energy on her and it’s only going to make things around here worse.”

“Trust me.” Volt places a gentle hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “I have everything in hand.” 

Eddie’s attention wanders as he hears the loud groan of the door opening upon the club. “I’m serious, Volt. You need to be more careful.”

“And you,” Volt adds, “should be resting.”

“I’ll just add it to the list.”

“Eddie–.”

“There isn’t enough time, alright? There’s too much to do. So unless you want us to blow a fuse–.”

“We’re not going to blow a fuse,” Volt assures him. “Though you might if you don’t relax.” 

“Relax?” Eddie chuffs a rueful laugh. “Yeah. That’s not going to happen when she’s here.” 

“Eddie, you know the house needs this place. I can’t just close tonight. Not before the show. She might not come by. And if she does, you won’t even notice.” 

Eddie isn’t convinced. Not by a long shot. Exhausted, already overwhelmed by the night’s crowd, Eddie sighs and concedes. “Fine. Just a few hours, but only if you swear you’ll keep me updated.” 

“Have I ever failed you before,” Volt asks with a cocksure grin. “Obviously not.”

“Volt,” Eddie says with an edge, “if it gets worse, you come get me.”

Footsteps draw their attention. Looking to the entrance, they see the human scanning the club. Eddie rolls his eyes. “Fascinating? Really?”

He doesn’t wait for a response. As he walks away his bootfalls are heavy, his expression dark. Approaching the human, he meets her eyes for the briefest of seconds then coldly stalks past. 

            Get rid of her, he tells Volt.

The human shakes her head, annoyed with Eddie. However, when she sees Volt, her smile beams bright enough to light up the room. 

“And here I thought you weren't fond of clubs,” Volt teases as he approaches. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, live wire.”

“Well, I had to come back. The vibe…the show…” she blushes and bites her lip nervously. “The host.” 

Volt feels a slight skip in his current. Stepping closer, he can't help but grin. “Is that so?”

 “Mmhmm." She bites her lip nervously. "Might have been the best thing I saw on stage. My favorite, even.”

  In the charged silence that follows, she holds his gaze. Heat rises in Volt’s cheeks, blushing with a sincerity he never expected. Being honest with himself, Volt finds he quite enjoys the experience. Enjoys her. 

  Gesturing over her shoulder toward Eddie, she asks, “Still intense?”

“As ever”

“Who is he, anyway? To you and this,” she adds, gesturing around the club.”

Volt lifts his chin and his confidence borders on hubris. “I supply, filter and distribute all the power in the house. Eddie is my predecessor. He’s been retired for quite some time now, however his knowledge and experience are invaluable to keeping the club humming along.” 

Stepping closer, looming over her, Volt sees the slightest note of fear flicker across her features. Though his intentions are earnest, there is an edge to his words. “I feel I should warn you. As you might have noticed, Eddie is rather ill-tempered. I assure you, it is best for everyone if he is just left alone. Especially when he is off the clock and taking a well-deserved rest.” Searching her eyes, he softens his voice. “I do hope I’ve answered your questions.”

“Just...I didn’t interrupt anything important, did I?”

“Of course not,” he sings. “Administrative matters. Your host would never want to bore you with such things. Not when there’s so much more to experience together.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Color me curious.”

“Now now," Volt teases. "I wouldn’t want to give too much away. Not so soon.”

Volt takes her hand in his, imparting the smallest tingle of static electricity. He shoots a quick glance up to the lights, expecting a surge that doesn’t come. 

Good. He’s either resting or beginning to thaw about the human. 

Volt returns his attention to her, admiring her body. “I must say, live wire, you are staggeringly beautiful any day or night. But in red–mm mm!–you are positively luminous.”

As she follows his stare, she gasps. Red satin slips off her bare shoulders and clings to her curves. He gives her a twirl and admires the fit of the wiggle dress and the sheer stockings with a Cuban heel, seams as straight as ray of light. She’s already a tall woman, and the strappy black shoes bring her just that much closer to Volt’s lips.

Once again, the human is utterly giddy. “How the hell do you do this?”

Volt hears her breath catch as he brings his cheek within an inch of hers. He whispers conspiratorially, “Can you keep a secret?”

“Several.”

“Mmm, so can I.”

“Oh, it’s like that,” she says playfully. 

“All in good time, live wire.” Still holding her hand, Volt strokes her fingers with his thumb. “Shall I escort you to a table? The show doesn’t start for a little while, but I’m sure we can find something to fill the time.”

Eyes lingering on Volt’s lips, she asks, “Can I get a drink?”

“Thirsty, are we? Right this way.”

Wrapping her arm around his, he leads the human to a seat, then gracefully takes a spot behind the bar. Volt practically juggles the bottles, turning each step of  the process into an entrancing dance. With his signature flare, the host presents his guest with a honey-brown drink garnished with an orange wheel and a pair of glistening cherries threaded on a short cable. 

“Whiskey sour,” he says proudly. “On the house, of course.” 

After she takes a long experimental drink, a smile unfurls across her expression. 

“Oh,” Volt sings. “Have we found something you enjoy?” 

She looks up at Volt from beneath her lashes, confident. Perhaps even a little daring. “Mmhm. The drink is almost as satisfying as watching you make it.”

“Why thank you, sweet spark.” With another blush he gives her a light bow. “Your host does love to entertain.”

“Does he have any other hidden talents?”

Volt’s slow grin is full of wicked promises. “Many,” he purrs.

“Now I have to know.” 

When his attention falls to your cocktail, his eyes crackle with mischief. Volt lowers himself to your drink. With a quick flick of his tongue he takes a cherry stem into his teeth and slowly, gently pulls the fruit free of the cord. The stem disappears into his mouth leaving the bright red cherry pressed to his lips. Commanding your gaze, his eyes never leave yours. One more motion of his tongue and he brings the cherry into his mouth. The stem emerges from his lips tied in a perfect knot. He plucks it free and displays his art for her. 

In the dark club, her cheeks flare pink. “Impressive.”

She almost matches her dress. Now it's a challenge for him. “I’d be happy to give you a private demonstration sometime, if you’d like.” Placing his elbows on the bar, he leans closer. “Would that be enough temptation for you to come see me again? On a slow night, perhaps, when I can give you my undivided attention.”

As she brings the glass up to her mouth, she uses it to point at Volt. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Oh, live wire, I certainly hope you’ll hold me to lots of things.”

With a bemused chuckle, she covers her bashful smile with another drink from her glass.

“You blush deliciously,” he says. 

The human’s skin turns an even deeper shade of red. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she quietly says, “Seems to happen a lot here.”

“Oh does it?” 

“Must be all the energy around here.” 

“Of course,” Volt says, an unexpected warmth in his eyes. 

The silence that follows is packed with an electricity that has little to do with the drinks, vibe or the music. She idly spins the remaining cherry in her drink. When she looks up to Volt, the human seems uneasy. 

“So…um…what now?”

Volt laughs affectionately. “You don’t do this very often, do you?”

“I’m not usually…social. Especially with objects. That’s…that’s very new.”

“Then allow me to take the lead.” His hand hovering above hers, he asks, “May I?”

She nods. “You may.” 

Volt takes her hand and turns it palm up. “Please correct me if I am mistaken, but I've heard that the lines on an individual human’s hands are completely unique. Not unlike our barcodes. Some even believe you can discern aspects of your future simply by looking at them. Shall I read yours?”

Intrigued, she tilts her head. “You can read palms?”

“I learned to read barcodes from Vagabonda, one of our old Spotlight acts. I imagine the skills are somewhat transferable.”

 “Alright.” With a subtle chin pop she says, “What do you see?”

 Volt moves forward until he and the human are mere inches apart then focuses intently on her steady hand, “Hmmmmm. How interesting. Yes, quite fascinating indeed.”

 “Oh, do tell.”

 “Well, according to this line right here…” Volt traces his fingertip across the longest crease of her palm. “You've recently met your destiny.”

 “Hrm…I've met a lot of objects lately. Any lines have something a little more specific? I’d hate to miss my destiny in the crowd.”

 Stroking her hand, Volt’s unwavering stare fixes her attention. “Tall. Handsome. Dangerously irresistible. Does that ring any bells?”

 Eyes glittering, she gives Volt a coy smile. “Someone comes to mind, yeah.”

As Volt places a kiss in her palm, the power surges. The lights flicker and flare, accompanied by a loud, droning buzz. In his mind, Volt hears Eddie’s surly voice.

We fucking talked about this.

And you’re supposed to be resting.

Volt, Eddie warns.

When he looks up at the human, he sees small motes of light crackling on the side of her head. She merely continues staring at the reflections in the glossy bar. He stands, still holding her hand in his. “I am sorry, live wire. As much as I’m enjoying our conversation, I’m afraid your host must prepare for his show.  To your table, then?”

chapter 3 - Chapter 5