#x oc!reader

Ryan sighed to himself as he exited the pool house. He needed some silence to study for upcoming tests and, unfortunately he wasn’t going to get it with Seth right there talking his ears off about his latest drama. Although his quirky, talkative, and awkward personality had weirded him out at first, he learned to appreciate his friendship – but sometimes, like now, he could get insufferable. So, he grabbed his bike and headed to the school library.

He didn’t really feel like listening to Seth rambling about the new chapter of the Summer/Anna novel. He had a lot on his plate already, especially regarding his relationship with Marissa. It’s been a couple of days, but he still hasn’t recovered from all the chaos that Oliver brought into their lives. Thinking back about it all – how many times he had warned her (and everyone) that there was something off about that guy, only to have his concerns brushed aside – was enough to stir anger and frustration deep inside of him. He still couldn’t believe that Luke, of all people, had been the only one to back him up and had seen through Oliver’s web of lies almost as quickly as he did. And that was why he couldn’t date Marissa again – not yet, at least. Every time he looked at her, that pang of betrayal and resentment flared in his chest, refusing to go away.

Once he arrived at the library, he remembered he had to grab a history book for an assignment on World War II, so he rummaged through the shelves until he found it. However, he encountered something else. Or rather, he heard something that called his attention. He followed the track of voices until, in a secluded corner of the library, he saw a boy and a girl talking far too close for a casual conversation. At first, he thought about leaving the two of you alone – it was common knowledge that lots of couples used this library as a secret make-out spot, but, as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat, so he ended up hanging around, hidden by one of the bookshelves. The girl turned her face over where he was standing, and he recognized her from school. You two had never actively exchanged words, but you had shared a few classes at Harbor School.

“Come on, doll”, the guy sneered, trapping your body between his and the wall of books behind you. You took a deep breath, wishing this interaction would end as soon as possible. “I missed you. I couldn’t believe you left without telling me.” His hands landed on the bookshelves, one on either side of your head, boxing you in.

“Jake, please, go away”, you pleaded in a defeated whispering tone but he didn’t seem to care at all.

“Now that I found you, I was thinking we could go to a motel. I saw one on the way out of the city”, he said leaning his lips closer to yours. “And, you know…”, the smile he gave you made your stomach churn. You felt you could throw up right there – not only because of the situation, but also because his breath smelled terribly. Before you could shove him away, he started kissing your neck with roughness.

That was Ryan’s cue to leave the two of you alone. Even though he couldn’t make out what you were saying, he had no interest in sticking around for what was about to happen. 

That was until he heard you scream and froze on his tracks.

“No! Get off me, you prick!” you yelled, struggling against him. Sadly, he didn’t even move an inch because he was stronger than you. Time seemed to stop at that moment and all you could manage to do was screaming. “Stop, please! Let me go!”

“The less you resist, the better, baby”, he grabbed you by your chin and you closed your eyes and your mouth into a thin line, imploring the ground to swallow you whole. “You might end up enjoying it.”

And just when you were about to give in, you felt a strong force yank Jake away from you. You opened your eyes slowly, too scared to move any other inch of your body and there he was.. your savior. Ryan Atwood. You knew him from school; you have crossed paths once or twice. Turning your head to the other side, you saw Jake sprawled on the floor.

“She said no”, he spoke slowly, but with a steady and threatening tone. If looks could kill, Jake would be burning alive. Ryan was slightly shorter than Jake but his toned physique made him look unshakable.

The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating – like the humid air on a rainy summer day in Newport. You stood frozen in your place, unsure whether to move or speak, but Jake beat you to it.

“Who the hell are you, dude?” Jake retorted, getting back up on his feet. Ryan didn’t even flinch. “She’s MY girl and I can do whatever I want with her.” Most girls read these types of lines in books and think they’re sexy, but this was so not the case. Jake said it in the most disgustingly creepy and possessive way. “Besides, she has been begging for it… I mean, have you seen that skirt?”, he pointed his index finger at your bare legs, causing you to look down at your outfit and feel very self-conscious. “It’s basically screaming ‘Fuck me, I’m a slut’ all over this fucking place.”

“All right.”, Ryan nodded and clenched his fists. He wasted no time in delivering one single powerful punch to Jake’s face. The latter walked backwards, letting out a groan and grabbed his now bleeding nose. The blond jabbed his index finger at him. “Don’t even think of saying or doing anything to her ever again, you heard me? Or next time I won’t be so nice and I’ll kick your ass until you can’t walk. You understand?”

You were afraid that Jake was going to hit Ryan back – you could practically see the idea flash across his mind for a split second. However, he decided against it and then his eyes darted between you and Ryan before storming off the library.

You let out a deep breath, not realizing you have been holding it all along.

Ryan turned his frame towards you and for the first time your eyes locked. You hadn’t imagined they would be this blue – just as pretty as the ocean.

“You ok? Did he hurt you?”, he asked while scanning you with a hint of concern.

“I’m good now”, you gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, sure. Anytime”, he replied and started looking anywhere but your face as his regular awkwardness started to creep in. “Well…”, he cleared his throat. “Guess I’ll see you around", the right side of his mouth quirked up in a half smile and then he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

But as he began to walk away from you, an inner voice urged you not to let him go so easily. “Ryan?…Wait!”

He stopped on his tracks and turned around slowly, with a confused look on his face.

“I don’t wanna take up much more of your time but thank you… really”, you said the first thing that came to your brain. “You didn’t have to step in, you know? But I’m glad you did. So, yeah, thank you for saving me. That’s it”, you concluded your small rambling. It’s one of the things you did when you got nervous.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders with a carefree expression. “No worries really”. You noticed how his usual tough demeanor softened just a bit and how he gave you a faint grin. “Apparently, this is becoming my specialty these days.”

You let out a rather loud laugh at his comment because you weren’t expecting Ryan Atwood to crack a joke around you. You have heard stuff around school about what happened with Marissa, Oliver and him, so you had a feeling that it had to do with that. His lips curved into a toothless but sweet smile and then he made a goodbye gesture with his right hand and exited the library.

You stood there for a couple of more seconds, not fully believing what had happened. Then, you shook your head, grabbed your backpack and left this place as well.

Next Monday, you spotted Ryan sitting at the school cafeteria, focused on reading a book and scribbling notes. You debated whether you should approach him or not. You wanted to thank him once again and, if you were being honest, you wouldn’t mind getting to know him. He seemed really nice despite his tough and mysterious demeanor and also, he had recently joined the Newport community just like you, so you felt you had a bonding point there. You decided your next move was to buy two black coffees and made your way to where he was sitting.

“Hi”, you greeted him as you placed the drink on the table, careful not to spill anything on his stuff.

“Oh, hi”, he recognized you from the other day at the library, but you could see a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“I brought you coffee… as a thank you gift”, you pointed to the cup in front of him. “Hope you like black coffee, or americano, as people like to call it here”, you frowned your eyebrows.

“Yeah, I do”, he let out a small laugh. “You shouldn’t have, you know?”

You shrugged your shoulders, telling him it was the least you could do. 

“Thanks”, he grabbed the cup and brought it to his lips, sipping slowly in case it was hot.

“Uhm, do you mind if I sit here? I've got a free period now.”

“No, of course not”, he gestured to you to take the seat in front of him and you gladly did so. 

After taking everything you needed from your backpack and setting it on the table so you could review for your biology class, you started reading your notes. However, the minutes were passing by and your attention kept diverting to the boy in front of you. While finishing your own coffee cup, you found yourself stealing subtle glances at him, not wanting him to notice you were staring – and if he did notice, he was good at pretending he didn’t. He kept his eyes focused on the book and his notes, apparently not interested in making any conversation.

You knew he wasn’t the talkative type. You have seen him once or twice in the school corridors with Seth Cohen and it was obvious who wore the pants, conversation-wise at least. Seth would be animated, gesturing wildly, jumping from a topic to the other. Ryan, on the other hand, would simply listen quietly and at times, he would look confused, as if trying to follow Seth’s train of thoughts, but failing miserably. Other times, he would slightly narrow down his eyes, silently questioning himself whether Seth’s stories were worth the effort to untangle. And yet, there was a flicker of patience in his expression and always managed to find a witty remark, which resulted in Cohen scoffing.

Just as you were thinking of a question to ask him to break the ice, the school bell rang and he looked up, closing his book and grabbing the rest of his stuff.

“Sorry, I gotta go to class now, but thanks for the coffee”, he smiled at you one last time, not really waiting for your response, and got up to exit the cafeteria.

You stared at the empty spot where he had been sitting, feeling a mix of confusion and disappointment settled over you. So much for wanting to get to know him… You let out a deep breath and grabbed your pen, forcing yourself to continue working on the summary of types of cells of the human body.

In the days that followed, your interactions with Ryan remained minimal: a casual ‘Good morning’ when you entered the same classroom or a faint smile you’d give him from the opposite cafeteria table in those rare occasions when his eyes would meet yours. He was always looking down, focused on a book or playing with his food; or even when talking to Seth, he was always lost in his own world. Some days, you’d seen him exchange a few words with Marissa Cooper, but that was it.

You started believing he didn’t really care about making new friends. You didn’t take it personally though; he came from Chino and that wasn’t a great place to grow up. He seemed like the type who learned the hard way not to trust people so easily. And you had a doctorate on that topic, coming from a similar town. You were too familiar with building up invisible walls around yourself as a coping mechanism to avoid getting hurt. 

And then, there was the world of Newport itself – so polished, so privileged, so alien to all your previous life experiences. Therefore, you couldn’t really blame him for not wanting to make a connection with people that made you feel out of place, whether they wanted it or not. Still, you wanted to show him you were not one of those people. You saw pieces of yourself in the way he carried himself and perhaps that’s why there was something inside of you saying you couldn’t give up that easily. 

So, against all odds, you found yourself seeking out opportunities to spend time with him, hoping to break through his quiet and lonely demeanor. Every time you approached him at the cafeteria to spend your lunch break together and try to spark some casual conversation, he wouldn’t brush you off but his responses were politely short and hurried, no matter how much effort you put into finding topics you might have in common. In class, he didn’t seem to mind if you sat next to him. Some other times, you’d accidentally meet him at the library with the pretext of needing something that you actually didn’t.

However, after all the silent looks, shrugs, or the one-word responses, you started questioning if your attempts to befriend him were a mistake. Perhaps you were in the wrong. Maybe you had read too much into the day he saved you from Jake – maybe he just did that out of common courtesy.

So eventually, you started letting him go slowly; you didn’t wanna be a bother to him. You stopped seeking him out at lunch as often: you chose instead to sit with other people or sometimes you’d eat on your own. Whenever you did sit together in the classroom or at the library, you adopted a more reserved demeanor, not engaging much in conversations or just giving him a faint smile as a response.

And Ryan.. at first he felt indifferent at your change of attitude. He was used to being alone, to mind his own business. It was a lot simpler that way. He already had Seth, Marissa, Luke and even Summer and that was enough friendships for a lifetime in his books.

Or that’s what he thought…

After a couple of days, he started acknowledging the gaps you had left behind. He’d find himself scanning the school cafeteria, his food tray in his hands, trying to spot you. He couldn’t actually explain the pang of something he felt on his chest whenever he saw you talking or laughing with your other classmates. Or the smile you evoked on him whenever he came across at your cute concentration pout while reading a book or writing something on your notebook. Even the library seemed too quiet and empty. 

It wasn’t until the following weeks that he finally realized he missed you – even if he would never admit that outloud. It happened while he was hanging out with Seth in his room; he was rambling on about a comic he’d just finished reading, but Ryan’s thoughts kept diverting to you for some reason. He found himself thinking about what you could be doing at that moment and he kinda looked forward to the next day so he could see you at school. And that was when the truth hit him. However, you weren’t giving much more than the time of the day, so he had to do something to get you to talk to him or at least acknowledge his existence. 

The next day, in an effort to make amends for his past behaviour, he sought you out after the science class. He found you at your locker carefully tucking some notebooks, pens and your algebra manual inside your backpack. He didn’t put much more thought into his plan and walked towards you before he could get second thoughts.

You, on the other hand, were pretty much into your own head so the gentle tap on your shoulder made you jump slightly. But then, fear was replaced by surprise when you saw who it was. A rush of energy ran through your body. What was he doing here?

“Hi, Y/N”, Ryan started talking, as awkward as ever, and cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Uhm, I’m struggling with the analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird that Mr. Brown asked… would you mind helping me?”

It was a flat-out lie. Ryan had finished the assignment this weekend, but he needed an excuse to talk to you so that’s the best he could come up with. He distinctly remembered you mentioning once that Literature was your favorite subject, and although he hadn’t gone out of his way to interact with you before, he actually had listened to everything you’ve said to him. It’s just dawned on him now how much he did.

The surprise still lingered on your face for a couple of seconds, but almost instinctively, a smile formed on your lips. “Of course.”, the warmth in your voice caught him off guard. “Let’s meet at the library after school”, you gave him a quick wink and then gently closed your locker before heading off to your Maths class. Ryan was left standing in the middle of the corridor with a wide smile plastered on his face and a sense of relief rushed through him, assuring him that everything would be all right.

And that was the day where your friendship with Ryan Atwood finally began.

It was safe to say that Ryan and you became attached by the hip. You spent every chance you’d get together, but it wasn’t forced or anything like that – you simply gravitated towards each other naturally. No excuses or plans were needed.

Some afternoons when the weather was nicely warm, you’d go to the beach and share some sandwiches while you chatted about whatever came to your minds. You learned a lot about him, his life in Chino, his rough childhood, his early days in Newport, as well as his relationship with the Cohens and with Marissa. And, then, of course, he asked about you. You used to live in a town called Riverside with your mom but then she died in a car accident, and given that your dad has been MIA since you were born, your aunt Rachel became your legal guardian so you ended up moving to Newport with her. You also shared the story of Jake and you: long story short, at first you liked him because he was ‘a bit older and cooler’ but as you started hanging out with him, you realized he was bad news. Ryan gave you an apologetic smile, and you said it was ok, that you couldn’t really complain about your life here and that the quality of your friendships has clearly improved. He turned his head to the side and laughed but actually he wanted to hide the fact that his cheeks grew redder.

Some mornings, you’d join Ryan and his group of friends for breakfast at the Pier Diner. The first time oyu did so, you were worried that you were going to intrude, but Ryan assured you they were going to love you. Naturally, Seth did most of the talking, and that helped take some pressure off your shoulders. Watching him and Summer bickering was pretty amusing as well. You did receive some weird looks from Marissa but you decided to ignore her and keep enjoying the best pancakes you’ve ever tasted so far. Besides, Ryan had intertwined his hand with yours under the table to secretly show his support. You could say without a doubt that your heart stopped for a few seconds.

Some evenings, you’d wander aimlessly through the centric lanes, lost in your own little world. What seemed funny to you about your bond with Ryan was that although you shared really interesting conversations, you also found comfort in silence; you just simply enjoyed each other’s company. His presence soothed you in ways you could not explain – he made you feel peaceful and protected like you haven’t felt in a long time. One particular night, you were walking side by side while eating ice cream and you started feeling colder because the weather had dropped a few degrees compared to the warm afternoon so obviously you didn’t think it was necessary to bring a jacket but at that moment you cursed yourself mentally for not checking the forecast before going out. Ryan seemed to notice how you began to rub your arm with your free hand to get some warmth and how your lips adopted a purplish shade. (Not that he had already looked at your lips before. Or perhaps yes he did) So, he decided to take off his leather jacket and put it around your shoulders, causing you to sigh from relief. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under it, so he would be fine. Without hesitation, you gave him a quick peck on his cheek to thank him and continued walking while you finished your ice cream cone. You probably did this without even realizing it, but Ryan had thought about that interaction for the days that followed and it never failed to make him smile.

The next day was a Saturday so you didn’t have school but you still had to run some errands for your aunt. You took advantage of the fact that you had to go out of your house and you stopped by at the Cohen’s house to return Ryan’s jacket. The previous night, you were so comfortable on it that you forgot to take it off when he walked you to your front door. And you figured he didn’t mind you having it either, but still. He wasn’t at home, but Seth was more than happy to pass the message along.

So, when Ryan came back, he was already waiting for him at the pool house.

“So, your new BFF dropped this off earlier”, Seth said, lifting the jacked with his index finger. “Care to explain what’s happening?”

“What’s happening with what?”, Ryan retorted, taking the jacket from Seth’s hand and putting it away in his wardrobe.

“Oh, come on, dude! What’s the deal with Y/N?”, he gestured widely, his movements too exaggerated. 

“There is no deal. We’re just... hanging out”, Ryan sat on the armchair opposite the bed.

“Oh, yeah, sure”, he continued and rolled his eyes “Because ‘just hanging out' involves spending every minute together, eating meals together, holding hands under the table – yeah, I saw that at the Diner – and emotionally charged silences”, he made a dramatic short pause. “That, my brother, is dating in my books”, he opened his arms as if he had just dropped a microphone. “I’m sure Romeo and Juliet’s epic love story started just like that.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how it went”, Ryan muttered slowly and then shook his head. “And we’re not dating. We haven’t even kissed yet.

“Aha!”, Seth exclaimed and got up quickly, pointing at his friend. “So you admit you want a kiss to happen…”

“I didn’t say…”, Ryan started, but he stopped himself, letting out a heavy sigh. He realized there was no escaping this conversation “I don’t know, she’s just someone I like hanging out with, She’s... easy to be around.”

“Someone hand me a tissue please. This is the most heartfelt declaration of love I’ve heard”, Seth quipped, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Ryan frowned and threw a pillow right on Seth’s forehead. “Easy there, Chino boy; no need to get violent… Look, I get it…”, he added, his tone softening, and sat right back on the bed. “She’s different from you-know-who.”

“And your point is?”, Ryan asked. Although he already knew who he was talking about, he just wasn’t following the connection between you and Marissa. 

He earned another eye roll from the youngest Cohen.

“That you don’t have anything to prove around her. She’s not some test or some impossible standard you feel like you need to live up to. You can just be yourself freely around her."

Ryan would never say it out loud, but what Seth said made sense. When he dated Marissa, he truly loved her, but it felt like he was constantly walking a tightrope—proving he wasn’t the bad guy, trying to win over her family, playing with fire just to get her out of any kind of trouble. And in the end, where did that get him? Absolutely nowhere except Pain and Heartbreak city.

"And as unbelievable as this sounds, because, trust me, I’m just as shocked as anyone else, she likes you for you".

“And how exactly do you know she likes me? Were you bitten by a radioactive spider and developed psychic abilities when I wasn’t looking?”

"Okay, first off, if I had superpowers, I’d definitely use them to swing my way back into Summer’s good graces. Second, I don’t need any arachnid senses, Ryan. It’s called observation. Trust me, the signs are about as subtle as the flashing neon billboards in Times Square."

Ryan frowned. "Oh, yeah? Well, enlighten me, Sherlock."

Seth straightened up, clearly relishing the moment. "Exhibit A: the way she lights up like a Chrismukkah tree every time you walk into a room? Very telling. Exhibit B: she’ll find literally any excuse to touch you—like that time at the diner when she ‘accidentally’ brushed your arm while reaching for the salt. Like, come on, dude, that’s textbook flirting. And Exhibit C: the other day when we were all hanging out at the pier, you cracked a joke that wasn’t even remotely funny, no offense, but she laughed like it was straight out of a Seinfeld episode. Meanwhile, I’m out here delivering comedic gold on a daily basis, and do I get that kind of reaction from Summer? Of course not. That woman has the emotional range of a brick wall when it comes to humor."

“Ok, yeah, enough irrefutable evidence and references to you and Summer”, he lifted his eyebrows in a sarcastic manner.

"And don't even get me started about you. I never thought I'd live to see the day where the Ryan Atwood gave someone the puppy eyes every time said person entered his field of vision. Honestly, dude, it’s both adorable and mildly terrifying." Ryan scoffed and Seth laughed victoriously. "Accept it, Ryan. I can read you like a comic book. It's all over the place; you two are in loooooove."

“You’re impossible…”, The blond got up from the chair and exited the beach house, leaving Seth alone with his own rambling.

The youngest Cohen watched his friend leave and let out a laugh. “Ah, denial”, he muttered aloud to the empty room. “Stage one of the Ryan Atwood romantic process.”

One not-so-random Saturday, you found yourself at home, pacing the floors with restless energy. Your aunt Rachel, a doctor at the Newport Hospital, had been called to work for an emergency surgery, leaving you alone with the daunting task of keeping yourself occupied. As usual, you had woken up feeling anxious, so you threw yourself into activities to avoid overthinking what day it was.

First, you caught up on your latest homework, then finished the book you'd started a month ago. You even cooked dinner and baked a chocolate loaf cake, despite not having much of an appetite. For a while, it seemed to work. But as the sun set and your body longed for sleep, you lay wide awake in bed, unable to quiet your racing thoughts. No matter how hard you tried, your mind kept circling back to that night — the one when your mum had been taken away from you. The monthly anniversary loomed over you like a shadow, heavy and inescapable. But before letting your emotions drive you to do something you might regret later, you got up from the bed and reached for your phone to call the only person who could truly comfort you in a moment like this. Of course Ryan wasn’t surprised about you calling him; you would talk on the phone quite regularly (Seth would grill him over this as well), but when you invited him over with a hint of sadness in your voice, an alarm triggered inside of him, so he said he would be at your house in a heartbeat.

And as promised, not even 10 minutes after your call, you heard him park the car outside your house. You’d been waiting for him sitting on the sofa so you opened the front door pretty quickly. He took an extra second to take in your outfit. Were you wearing a sweatshirt of his? When have you taken it? And not to mention, the pair of pijama shorts that barely covered your legs. Something stirred inside of him. You brought him back to reality when you greeted him with a hug. It was some seconds longer than those you’d shared in the past. And he also noticed how your eyes lacked their usual spark. This confirmed something was off with you. However, he decided to wait for the right moment to pop the question, or maybe, to wait for you to mention it.

You led him to the living room and picked up the TV remote so you could turn it on and check if there was anything interesting to watch. You dropped onto the sofa and glanced up at him, patting the spot next to you in silent invitation. Ryan couldn’t help feeling thrown off by your strangely composed demeanor, especially after the odd tone of your earlier call. However, he brushed his doubts aside and sat down where you had indicated him. You took the opportunity to scoot closer against him so your side was fully pressed against his and your head rested on his shoulder. Ryan tensed for half a second, unsure of what to do. It’s not like you two haven’t shared hugs or fleeting touches, but this was different. Cuddling was unknown territory. He stole a quick glance at you and, seeing that you didn’t seem troubled by the closeness, he relaxed. A soft breath escaped him as he wrapped an arm around your back. You’d caught him off guard, but the moment felt strangely comforting—like something he hadn’t realized he’d been needing.

However, in that glance he also noticed your eyes were fixed on the TV, but your head was visibly elsewhere. He could practically see the thoughts race in and out of your mind. 

“Penny for your thoughts?”, he asked softly, tapping on your leg with his free hand.

“Nothing really… I was just thinking”, you replied almost whispering, with the same expression.

“Yeah, I can see the thoughts race in and out of your mind”, he meant to say that as a joke, but when you turned your face in his direction, your eyes screamed with anxiety and sadness. “Y/N, are you ok?”

Your heart skipped a beat at his question. This was the moment you’ve been dreading – having to explain what was wrong. You had it coming, though. You weren’t doing an amazing job at being your usual cheerful self. You were just secretly hoping Ryan would mistake your behaviour for tiredness. But no, he read you like an open book.

“Uhm, yeah”, you bit the inside of your cheek hesitantly, unsure if you wanted to unload all the weight you’ve been carrying on your shoulders. Needless to say, he had become your person, your safe place. You knew you could trust him with whatever you wanted and he would still be there for you without judging.. But this… was not a happy conversation.. A knot tightened on your chest. You struggled with talking about your mom’s death because you felt that it made it feel more real… So, you put all the memories and feelings in a box and stored them in the basement of your brain.

Ryan knew you zoomed out again, so he decided to keep talking to you to keep you grounded. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me anything until you’re OK? Just know I’m here for you.”

You nodded at him, thanking him silently. But before doing anything else, you felt his hand wipe something off your cheek. A tear? You hadn’t even realized they were threatening to come out.

“Hey… come here”, he whispered softly and now he used his two arms to wrap you in a comforting hug. All the emotions you’d been suppressing the whole day came out to the surface and hit you like a trainwreck. “Shh, it’s ok”, he whispered repeatedly while gently stroking your back. Your fingers clutched at the fabric of his typical white shirt as he let you pour your heart out. 

After some minutes in the same position and now with your cries having subsided, you broke the hug and quickly wiped the remaining tears. He frowned his eyebrows at you, implicitly asking if you were feeling better. You nodded softly.

“Thank you”, you finally spoke, your voice coming out hoarse. “I’m sorry for spoiling your favorite t-shirt”, he looked down and saw how your crying had taken a toll on this piece of clothing but then he made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Don’t worry. You know I have lots of these”, he joked and you couldn’t help but laugh. It was true. You rarely see him wear anything besides white sleeveless tank top and dark pants. If the weather was colder, he’d take a grey shirt or his signature leather jacket. 

Ryan stayed there in front of you, studying your expression, and removed a loose strand of hair that had fallen before your face. He couldn’t ignore how beautiful you looked, even after crying your eyes out. His hand lingered on your face longer than it should, caressing your left cheek. You could feel your heartbeat quicken under his touch and the fears of showing him your vulnerability seemed to dissolve in the warmth of his gestures. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but hesitated, as nothing felt good enough.

Instead, he looked at you, searching in your eyes for permission he wasn’t sure he needed. The silence between you felt charged but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. He saw how your eyes looked down at his lips and, unconsciously, you licked yours subtly. His breath hitched slightly.

His hand, near your face, grabbed your chin this time and he slowly leaned in, as if testing the waters. You gave him a small nod and didn’t take long for his mouth to meet yours in a tender slow kiss. The world around you seemed to stop and all the things that have been troubling you seemed to fade in the distance. Your hand instinctively reached up, threading softly through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. The kiss then deepened just slightly, enough for both of you to feel the unspoken emotions behind it. When it ended, his forehead lingered against yours, eyes still closed, as if cursing to himself that he had to stop to breathe. It seemed your lips were custom-made for his, fitting together in a way that felt both effortless and electric. 

He gave you another quick peck before his thumb started to gently trace the curve of your cheek.

“I have to admit,” you said with a playful smirk, “I like this method of comforting.”

A soft chuckle escaped him, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at you with nothing else but adoration.

“You really are something else, aren’t you?”

you made it to the end, congrats! 💜 I really hope you enjoyed it and that it wasn't too long for a one shot. I have to admit I had fun writing it and trying to replicate the characters' personalities, especially when seth appeared.

this maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay have a part 2, depending on if it flops, lol.

Robin, your best friend, helped you get this job at Scoops Ahoy a couple of months ago. The work itself wasn’t ideal because you had to put up with a lot of annoying people (and cleaning toilets wasn’t very appealing either), but the pay was pretty good and it allowed you to combine it with your study schedule. The best parts were obviously the free ice cream and sharing shifts with your bestie.

You also had to share several shifts with Steve Harrington. You didn’t like him at first if you were being completely honest. You knew him from before because you had shared a few classes at Hawkins High, but you never actively talked to him. He was very handsome and charming, but his reputation of being a womanizer and a douchebag preceded him so for you that was enough to keep your distance.

However, everything changed when you took on this job. On the bright side, has had some personal growth over the last few months so this made spending time with him a lot easier. Of course, the King Steve persona sometimes came into the light and he could get insufferable, but you still enjoyed his company. You could say you had more of a ‘frenemies’ relationship. Definitely, one of the things that amused you the most was bickering with Steve, so when the work day was quiet, you’d pick a silly argument just for the sake of it. 

Thus, that’s what led the two of you to discuss the topic of sex in the middle of one casual Saturday afternoon in mid-September at Scoops Ahoy. The weather was chiller than the one from previous weeks, but there were some people that weren’t going to let the climate get in the way of getting ice cream. You couldn’t blame them though. Robin was at the register machine, getting the customers’ orders and Steve and you were organizing the stock at the back of the shop.

“Harrington, are you really saying that kissing and foreplay are not as important as the sex part!?”, you exclaimed a bit too loudly while you glared at your coworker with a questioning look. He just quirked his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders meaning ‘Yes, I said what I said. Deal with it.’

You didn’t feel any shame talking about these topics. In fact, you were pretty bold. Especially with Steve. He had that vibe that made everyone around him feel comfortable with discussing or doing anything. Of course. King Steve, ladies and gentlemen. 

“Why would I prefer the opening act when I know I’ll be seeing, I dunno, The Police soon?”

You let out a chuckle.

“You have been spending more time with Eddie, haven’t you?”, he gave you a mocking look. It was no secret that Steve wasn’t a fan of Eddie, especially because recently he had been stealing Dustin’s attention and that made Steve more jealous than he cared to admit. You couldn’t help but smile at the cuteness of Steve and Dustin’s relationship and his jealousy.

You grabbed one of the boxes with new ice cream flavours that were recently delivered to the shop because you had to carry them to the walk-in refrigerator, but since the two boxes were really heavy you asked Steve for help. At first he pretended to ignore you, but then he smiled teasingly and grabbed the other one to give you a hand. You had trouble deciding whether you hated that smile or you loved it… It was probably the latter. 

As soon as you entered the refrigerator, the chilly air hit your skin. You carefully placed the box you were carrying on the floor and put the door wedge so it wouldn’t close while you were in there. The door was pretty heavy because it needed to stay shut in order to keep the temperature low, but also, the door handle wasn’t working pretty well.

“Anyways, for us girls they’re really equally important”, you resumed your little argument while you two arranged the ice creams on the various shelves, categorizing them by their flavor. “We can get all the information we need about the other person from the first kiss. I can’t believe you don’t like it.”

You looked at him from the corner of your eye and noticed that he rolled his.

“No, honey”, he paused and sighed. You screamed internally at the pet name. He usually called you by your name or ‘Smarty Pants’ whenever you gave him witty comebacks. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I do, but I’d rather get down to the real business quicker.”

“Well, hun, friendly advice, if you keep thinking like that, you’ll have to settle with solo concerts.”

Steve wanted to give you the middle finger so badly but couldn’t do it because he had his hands full so he had to contempt himself by sticking out his tongue in a mocking tone. You gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder and then he gave you another one back but Steve was stronger than you so you tripped backwards and accidentally kicked the door wedge and the refrigerator door closed. 

“Fuck”, the two of you blurted out in unison; your heartbeats picking up rapidly. You exchanged looks and frowned your eyebrows at the same time. Under different circumstances, you would have laughed at the synchronicity.

“This is your fault.”

“How is this my fault, Harrington? You pushed me!”, you replied back while you got up from the floor and adjusted your uniform.

“You made me come in here!”

“I simply asked for your help!”

You decided it was useless to continue with this bickering so you kneeled down before the door handle to try to make it work. However, it was useless. The door refused to budge. You had repeatedly asked Keith, your boss, to call the repair guy to fix said handle but of course he never did. You cursed him under your breath while you got back up and started screaming and banging on the door.

“ROBIN! HELP! SOMEBODY”, Steve joined you but nobody seemed to hear. “HELLO, WE’RE INSIDE THE REFRIGERATOR!”, you both screamed over and over again.

“I hope Robin notices quickly we’re nowhere to be seen. If not, we’re going to freeze to death”, you lifted your hands to massage your scalp, trying to prevent yourself from spiraling. Extremely difficult task given the not so encouraging situation. You didn’t consider yourself a claustrophobic person but you weren’t a fan.

“Don’t exaggerate, Y/N. It’s just a little bit of cold”, he shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing off your very real concern. 

If looks could kill, he would be reduced to ashes right now. 

“Unlike you, I don’t have teenage-like hormones, Steve. I get cold easily.”

He was about to reply with another witty comment, but he noticed how anxious you were getting. He saw your right leg start bouncing rapidly and how you bit your fingernails—subtle things you did when you were nervous or distressed. He had noticed them before. He let out a defeated sigh.

“OK, I’m being serious right now: we’re going to get out of here in a heartbeat, don’t worry.” 

You went back to the screaming and banging, hoping that someone outside would hear you at that very moment and get you out of there. Unfortunately, you were alone with the echoes of your voice and movements. Meanwhile, Steve was pacing the small place, thinking of any other possible escape. 

After some minutes that felt like hours, the cold and the confinement were starting to take a toll on you. You sat on the floor with your back against the door to keep hitting it, more occasionally now. The Scoops Ahoy uniform was not enough to keep you warm; your body started trembling so you hugged yourself, keeping your knees close to your chest. Steve heard your shivering breaths. He scanned the ‘room’ one more time and saw the empty cardboard boxes stacked where you had been organizing the ice cream.

“We can use the empty ice cream boxes to keep us warm”, you gave him a questioning look. encouraging him to clarify. “We can break them down to sit on them and then put the other parts over our bodies”.

“God bless that big head of yours, Harrington.”, you smiled and tried to stand up but it wasn’t as easy as before. Your body was getting stiffer. Steve gave you a hand.

The two of you started tearing up the boxes and placing the flattened pieces on the floor next to the door and then cutting up bigger sections to use as makeshift blankets. 

“Well, it’s better than nothing”, Steve commented once you were all set and you agreed, keeping the cardboard boxes as close to your body as possible. 

It was far from being the perfect solution, but it worked… for a couple of minutes. Then, you started shivering again. You got up to the point where you could no longer feel your legs. You wanted to keep screaming and banging on the door but the little energy you had was starting to wear off. You decided to save it for later.

“Fuck, it’s so cold in here. I can’t stand it anymore”, you blurted out, more to yourself than anything and tried to rub your hands violently against your legs to get some warmth.

“Come here”, Steve whispered while opening his arms, motioning you to huddle closer to him so you could share whatever body heat you had left. It was true, Steve had a higher body temperature than any other person either of you knew but he wasn’t sure of how much that was going to last. He was feeling colder too.

You were hesitant to accept his embrace at first because you weren’t used to sharing physical contact with him but you quickly decided that it was worth trying it. Once you were beside him, he put his arms around your shaking frame and put two cardboard boxes over both your bodies. He rested his head on top of yours and you hugged him, wrapping your arms around his waist. Despite everything, this felt strangely nice and comfortable.

“We’re gonna get out of here, I promise”, he said after some silence and you could see the wisps of vapor that looked like smoke coming out of his mouth. 

You were too tired and weak to say or do anything. It seemed the temperature kept dropping every second. There was some frost on your hair and your eyelashes. Steve had it on his perfect hair too. At this moment, you actually believed you were going to die there. You snuggled closer into Steve’s embrace; not that it was really possible because you were practically glued to him.

You slowly started to drift off; your eyelids felt like two bricks of concrete. Steve went into alert mode when he felt you relax under his touch. “Hey, Y/N. Can you hear me?”

You let out a barely audible “Mh” and he started rubbing circles on your arm, close to your elbow.

“Stay awake, OK?”

He knew you couldn’t fall asleep if you had hypothermia. He didn’t know why but he remembered one of his biology teachers who explained that your body functions would slow down even more, which could be deadly. He didn’t even want to imagine that happening. 

At first, he didn’t want to admit he liked you because you were a pain in the neck, but then, as he spent more and more time with you, he learned you were funny, smart, and although you annoyed him to boredom sometimes, you were kind-hearted. Also, you had one of the most contagious laughs he has ever heard. And on top of that, you were insanely pretty. 

This drastic situation helped him realize he didn’t want to lose you, in any way. He couldn’t.

“I can’t.”, you whispered once again.

“Yes, you can”, his hands moved upwards to cup both your cheeks now; his desperate eyes fixed on your face. “Open your eyes, please, darling”. You wanted to laugh at the nickname but you didn’t even have the strength to do so. His voice was trembling now too. He didn’t know if out of the cold he was feeling or of the fear of something happening to you. He placed a kiss on your forehead. “Come on, I wanna see those pretty eyes.”

“I’m cold, Stevie. I’m sorry.”

You only used that nickname to tease him because he hated it. Now, it scratched his brain just right. He didn’t fail to notice you looked so small, so fragile. He didn’t know how, but he could feel you slip away from him.

“No, no, no, no”, he blurted out quickly. “Y/N, listen to me. Focus on my voice and my hands”, he rubbed circles on both of your cheeks. “Don’t fall asleep. Talk to me.”

His serious but also desperate tone made you realize the gravity of your state.

“About what?”, you whispered as you tried to get your whole attention to his gentle touches and his breathing. 

“About anything. Tell me a secret, a memory, an embarrassing story. Whatever comes to your mind, just talk to me.”

You gathered strength out of nowhere and opened your eyes. You saw Steve sigh with a little bit of relief. He also looked exhausted and cold, but there was something in his eyes that told you he was not giving up easily. You couldn’t say so for yourself, sadly.

“Your pretty eyes are the last pair I’m going to see”, you spoke slowly. Steve’s heart broke a little at your statement.

“No, don’t say things like that.. I need you to stay here with me. Please. I need you to stay alive so I can take you on a date when we’re out of here”, his voice and the movements on your skin were starting to slow down too. “I don’t want to leave this planet before kissing your beautiful lips.”

You gave him a weak smile.

“Do it now, Stevie.”

He lifted his eyebrows, thinking he heard you incorrectly. But then, you directed your eyes to his own lips, so he took it as an invitation and wasted no time. The kiss was slow and short but sweet nonetheless. None of you had much energy to keep going for longer, much to your dismay.

“That’s the way to warm up, right?”, he joked and you let out a choked laugh.

You went back to your tight embrace. You weren’t sure how much time you had left. You stopped trembling a couple of minutes ago and you knew that wasn’t a good sign. You thought about your family and your friends. One single tear fell from your left eye.

Just about when Steve was going to wipe it, you heard some noises on the other side of the door. You two looked at each other and Steve used the adrenaline rush to get back on his feet and helped you do the same.

“HELP, WE’RE STUCK IN THE REFRIGERATOR. PLEASE HELP”, Steve was the one yelling and you attempted to bang the door as loud as you could.

And then, the door finally opened. You squinted your eyes due to the sudden change of lightning and tried to make out the silhouette that was standing in front of you, but before you could see who it was or do anything else, your legs gave in and your vision went black, which resulted in you passing out on the ground.

Your eyelids fluttered open as the characteristic antiseptic hospital smell hit your nose. The sterile white walls were the first thing you saw. Your body still felt cold, even though you had several blankets wrapped around your frame. You turned your head to the side and saw Steve sitting on a chair, wrapped on a blanket as well. His eyes were closed and his head was slightly tilted to the side. He looked worn off but really adorable.

“Steve?”, you called his name but you didn’t recognize your own voice. It was really sore. The boy opened his eyes and gave you a sweet smile. There was a mixture of relief and concern in his look.

“Hey… You gave us quite the scare.” You apologized and he shrugged it off. “Your parents are already here. They’re filling out the paperwork.” He grabbed the chair and moved it forward to be closer to your bed. Then he grabbed your hand that was hidden under the blankets. “I should call the doctor to let her know you had woken up.”

You nodded but refused to let his hand go so he could stand up. His heart melted.

“We need to talk about our date”, you casually mentioned between giggles.

“You don’t waste a minute, don’t you?”, he chuckled, shaking his head. “I assure you, it’s going to be a date to die for.” Now it was your turn to laugh. 

“Yeah,” you say. How poetic. 

Eddie raises an eyebrow and drops his chin, studying you dubiously. “You sure you want to go with ‘yeah?’”

“I mean, tonight's involved a metric fuckton of emotional whiplash. I also foresee an adrenaline crash and a visit or three from Nightmare in my future, but yeah.” You nod, looking him in the eye. “I think I’m okay. Better than I’ve been in a couple of weeks.”

Eddie’s expression becomes apologetic, his storm cloud eyes searching yours for any trace of anger or regret. Gesturing to his bruised, scarred chest, he asks, “Even after all…this?”

“Oh, don’t you worry,” you assure him. “I’ve got a breakdown scheduled for tomorrow. Might scream into a few pillows, or shout into the crawlspace. Oh, I could sing the songs of the ancients with Wallace. Anyway, it should be a banger. Right now, though, at this exact moment? I’m surprisingly…content.”

“Content,” he repeats. “Not a bad thing to be.”

As if speaking aloud a dark secret, you say, “I–I missed you.” 

Eddie nods. “I didn’t want you to go.” 

You think of the door slamming shut behind you, his venom ringing in your ears. You remember crumbling into Jon and soaking his chest with your tears. You sigh. There is relief to it, sure, but also an amount of unspoken pain. 

Meeting his gaze, you ask, “Then why?”

“I…The humans who came before you were selfish and…cruel. They worked me day and night, non-stop. Someone was always awake. Something was always charging. Lights burning. Appliances humming. Screens glowing. They even had 3D printers and some laser shit.” He drags a hand down his face. “I couldn’t keep up. And I–I hated them. Still do. Even if it’s a waste of energy,” he adds with a mirthless laugh. 

***

Eddie sags onto his barstool and the clouds in his eyes darken. He studies his calluses. 

“If I’m honest,” she says, tone darkening, “I’d like an hour alone with them in a locked room with no windows.”

He raises an eyebrow. 

“I just want to talk,” she lies innocently. Her attention lingers on his chest. “I can see what they did to you, Eddie. It never should’ve happened.”

A shiver runs through him as her fingertips graze the scars on his chest. He lightly catches her hand and places a kiss in her palm. When Eddie lowers her hand, her fingers thread through his and squeeze. 

He continues. “I tried to convince myself that you were like them. But…you’re not. You’re not useless. And being useful isn’t why I miss you when you’re not here.”

With a deep, slow exhale, her shoulders relax. He glances at her face and finds her eyes closed, her expression almost peaceful. The corner of her mouth gives the slightest hint of a smile and Eddie feels a swell of relief and affection. He can’t imagine a world where he doesn’t get to see that smile. 

When she opens her eyes, he meets them. 

“I don’t think you’re selfish,” he says earnestly. “And you’re not careless. No one has ever just brought me coffee. Hell, I don't think anyone but Volt has ever thought about me when I’m not in the room. Other than Volt, no one gives a shit if I scrape my hand for the millionth time.” Eddie absentmindedly rubs one hand with the other. “No one keeps me company while I’m working. And no one has ever…t–touched me the way you do. The things I said…that was never you. But I know that doesn’t make it right. I still said it. I still hurt you. I was…scared.” 

“Of?”

“Wanting you.”

Heat creeps along your cheeks. 

***

Like the ocean to the shore, those words crash into your heart, and a tingling burst spreads through your body in warm waves. Though you’d felt his desire in that hungry kiss, hearing him say it makes it real. 

“I–I’ve…cared about you for a long time. Before these things,” he adds, tapping the Dateviators. “But what’s the point of wanting someone who I could never have? You were impossible. Still are,” he assures you wryly. “Just in a different way now.”

You giggle, somewhat proud, but mostly charmed. Wholly grateful.

“But then you became possible,” he says, astounded. “I tried to stay cold and push you away. I was convinced that if you met Volt I’d have to watch him have everything I wanted. Having you here…talking with you…making you laugh…” He drags a hand through his dark hair. “I didn’t believe for a second I would get that, too. And when I did, I didn’t want that to end. I figured it was inevitable that you’d fall in love with Volt and forget about me.” 

“Eddie, I didn’t annoy you into letting me come around because of Volt. I wanted to help you.”

“I still don’t understand why. It’s not like I’m the best company.”

“Pain recognizes pain,” you say, echoing what he’d said to you while you massaged his hands. “That first night–when you walked up to Volt–I…it was like you were the one real thing in the room. Maybe that’s why you just felt so…famliar. Which is weird, right? It was both maddening and fascinating because there’s no way I could’ve known you from before. But…I felt like I did. I could tell you were hurting. Physically and otherwise..”

Listening to her side of things, Eddie goes still. As he has done many times, he thinks about the night he spent next to her while she fell apart. How he spoke to her despite the distance between them. How her hand fell upon his without knowing. How she seemed to follow him when he left the morning after. 

***

“Maybe that’s why you just felt so…familiar.” 

He remembers her sleep-muffled voice saying, ‘Not yet.’ 

What if she could sense me that night?

“Which is weird, right,” she continues. “It was both maddening and fascinating because there’s no way I could’ve known you from before.” 

A smile tugs at Eddie’s mouth. Fascinating. That’s how Volt had described her: fascinating. When Volt said it, Eddie knew all that went into that single word. The piqued interest that consumed most thoughts. The kind of infatuation that somehow became a topic of every conversation. How sometimes she was the last thing on Volt’s mind before he clocked out. 

The idea that she might feel that way about him sends a tingle through him.

“Fascinating, eh? Any other adjectives?”

“For starters, I’ll borrow one of your favorites: infuriating.”

“Oh, starting with the low hanging fruit. You can do better.”

She grins, and her eyes shimmer with that puckish quality he loves so much. 

“Witty.”

“It’s not wit, it’s sarcasm.”

“Handsome.” 

“Those Dateviators must be fucking with your sight.”

“I’m seeing pretty clearly,” she says wryly.

“You're probably thinking of Volt.”

She shakes her head and moves in closer. “Nope.”

“Saying he’s not handsome? Now I know you’re lying.”

Closer. Her stare fixes his as she raises an eyebrow in challenge. “Deflection.”

“Come on,” he says. “There’s a mirror right there over the bar.”

“I mean it. The eyes, the stubble.” She slides fingertips down along the buttons of his open shirt. “The vest, too. Especially when you’re in teacher mode.” Biting her lip, she looks him up and down appreciatively. “Does something for me.”

Crimson with embarrassment, he rubs the back of his neck. “Stop,” he says, annoyed. 

“Then stop with the self-deprecating shit.” She playfully kisses the tip of his nose. “You're hot.” 

His features soften. Eddie won’t admit it, but she's made him feel wanted. Not just useful or necessary. Wanted. And that sets him alight. 

“Oh, I’ll also add ‘stellar kisser’ to the list.”

Eddie smirks. “That’s not an adjective. That’s two words.”

“It’s an adjectival phrase,” you counter.

“Then it's not an adjective.”

“It counts.” 

“Says who?”

“The Chicago Manual of Style.”

“Are you trying to flirt by arguing about…grammar?”

“Depends. Is it working?”

He sighs. “You know, aside from the creep in the crawlspace, I'm the most reclusive thing in this house, so take what I’m about to say with a whole rim of salt. K? Your game needs work, sparks.”

“Fair. Not sure if Dante would cringe or congratulate me for the effort.”

“One more try. Make it your favorite.”

“Mine.”  

Eddie opens his mouth, ready to fire back some of that wit she’d mentioned, but nothing comes out. 

‘Mine.’ 

He can’t snark at that. 

She didn’t even need to think. She just…said it. ‘Mine.’ 

Eddie’s human slips over his jaw, her thumb placed delicately on his cheek. She brings her lips to his with a gentleness Eddie has never experienced. This kiss isn’t about confessions or burgeoning desires. It’s a confident, slow dance that she leads him through. Taking her time, her tongue caresses his as if she’s savoring him. When she pulls away, she looks deep into his eyes. 

“Mine,” she whispers. 

Stroking her hair, he quietly replies, “Yours.”

A dimple appears in Eddie’s cheek as he smiles. She blinks at him, a look of wonder on her face. “You have an amazing smile, Eddison.”

At the sound of his full name, color rises in his cheeks. “Thank you for helping me find it.”

She blushes, her hand trailing down his arm as she withdraws. 

When Volt saunters into the Breaker Box, he is met with the merry sight of Eddie and their live wire sitting at a table, with a trio of drinks in various stages of consumption. The way they’ve got their heads together is almost conspiratorial.

Uncertain of what to do, Eddie shifts nervously. “So, how ‘bout that drink?”

She’s laughing. 

He’s stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, practically glowing blissfully.

At the sound of the closing door, she looks up and greets Volt with one of those smiles that makes his current skip. . 

“You’re back,” she says, happily. 

“I return with a delectable treat, compliments of the house. I would’ve returned sooner, however, Stefan and Mitchell had differing opinions about ganache. They asked me to tell you hello.”

Eddie uses a boot to slide Volt’s chair out for him then sends a whiskey sour across the table. Volt presents her with a tall piece of chocolate and cream layer cake, perfectly plated with a trio of chocolate covered strawberries. Daisuke had even provided three silver forks of the highest shine.

As Volt takes his seat beside his human, he removes his jacket and lays it over an adjacent chair. After placing a tender kiss on her temple, he says, “I also bring regards from many others among the household. Apparently you gave them quite the scare, live wire.”

Sipping from her drink, she asks, “What? Why?”

“When the power went out no one could find you. As soon as the last thing was out of the club, the door sealed shut–.”

“As it does during an outage,” Eddie interjects.

“--but no one could find you. When Maggie deduced you’d been locked in the Breaker Box, several worst-case scenarios were bandied about, it seems. Windolyn had quite a few offerings. The coolest head among them belonged to your candle. I’m only surprised he didn’t take the opportunity to hold court as he does. Needless to say, they were all quite relieved to hear you are alright.” 

“I’ll put in an appearance eventually,” she says. 

“Hopefully not tonight,” Volt purrs suggestively. 

“Oh? Something I should do instead?”

Eddie’s breath is warm against her ear. “Not done with you yet, remember?”

“Hey,” you say, leaning in. “You’ve got something just…here.” 

***

What had once been a perfectly plated masterwork of confectionery became a dish of dark chocolate crumbs and smears of ganache. You’re on your second drink and Volt is slowly llicking his fingers after finishing a strawberry. When he looks up, you notice a touch of chocolate lingering at the edge of his smile.  

You kiss the corner of his mouth, flicking your tongue across the chocolate. As you draw away, you see Volt’s smile is softer, his expression downright dreamy. Something about the sweet simplicity of the gesture has him utterly enchanted. 

In your periphery, you notice Eddie staring at the two of you.  You look at him to gauge his response. His grin says everything. From over the rim of his cocktail, Eddie gives you a wink before gesturing for you to return your attention to Volt. 

“I don’t know how you do it, live wire,” Volt says with a sigh. 

“Do what?”

“Make me feel like I’m cherished.”

Blushing, you reach for his hand. His silver-tipped fingers curl around your palm. “You are.”

You’ve done the impossible. With two words, you’ve rendered Volt speechless. 

“Might as well accept it,” you add, stroking his reddening cheek.

“If you insist.”

When he looks down bashfully, a lock of glowing hair falls into his face. You move to brush it back but stop short. “Can I…?”

“Of course.” 

For the first time, you run your hand through Volt’s hair. Soft tingles engulf your skin as you curl your fingers in crackling strands that part like silk. 

Volt leans into your touch and purrs. 

When you kiss him lightly, you tighten your grip just enough to elicit a sharp inhale and delighted rumble in his chest. 

“Mmm, live wire, you are magnificent.”

Ice clinks on glass as he knocks back the rest of his drink. 

“Alright,” Eddie says, putting down his once and future cocktail. He rests his elbows on the table and fixes you with his stare. “Question time.”

“What’s on your mind, Watts?”

“Be honest,” he says, a smirk appearing on his face. “Was it absolutely necessary for you to sit on my lap, or were you just trying to punish me?”

Volt flashes his signature cheshire grin. “I was wondering about that myself. Please, do enlighten us.”

You bring your drink to your lips and sip innocently. “I'll never tell.” 

“Oh, is that how it is?” Eddie sits back in his seat, regarding you with a look that is equal parts amusement and challenge. “Okay. If that’s how you want to play.”

“Oh, dear. I know that look. Live wire, you might be getting yourself in trouble.” 

“Am I,” you ask Eddie.

“Depends. Answer the question and we’ll see.” He punctuates the comment with a playful pop of his eyebrows.

“I had to find the best angle to get the job done, didn’t I?”

“Mmhmm. The best angle,” Eddie says, studying you. “The angle that could only be achieved by riding me?”

“Not riding you,” you insist.

Eddie nods as he says, “You were.”

“Is there another angle you would’ve preferred?” When Eddie chokes on a response, you continue, “Besides, I was kneeling. Above you. Not riding you.”

“Kinda felt like you were.” 

Volt chimes in, “And it most definitely appeared that way.” His eyes sparkle with mischief as he regards you. “You did seem rather comfortable.”

Putting on a deadpan, flat affect, you drone, “It was such a chore and I hated every second of it.”

Eddie calls you out. “So you were enjoying yourself?” 

“To be perfectly fair,” Volt says, “I didn’t hear you complaining.” As his eyes take an admiring tour of your body. “Then again, why would you? You had a spectacular view, Eddie.”

“Oh, sure,” Eddie agrees. “Best seat in the house, but it was damn near impossible to stay still.”

You act shocked. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Every time you leaned over and those wisps of your hair fell down? Or all the times you breathed on my chest? Or your damn perfume?”

“What’s wrong with my perfume?”

“Not a fucking thing. Then you were moving around every five seconds.”

You’re not even trying to hide your smile or your sarcasm. “Oh, sure. I was just the one with my hands literally inside your chest, trying to be a badass and perform surgery on a snarky bitch who also happens to be hot and made of electricity. But sure, let’s just make it about you.”

“You were grinding on me!”

“How is that my problem?”

“For fucksake, you’re infuriating.” After dragging his hands over his face, he says, “You have no idea how hard it was.”

“Phrasing?”

“I said what I said.”

Grinning, you turn your mutter into your drink. “I have some idea.”

Of course you noticed. How could you not? You were riding him, after all. But, you’d put as much of that knowledge out of your mind so you wouldn’t kill him. Now that the danger has passed, you imagine straddling Eddie again and teasing him until he’s gritting his teeth to stop from bucking into you. Would Volt be jealous? Would he watch? Or maybe…

As fantasies swarm your mind, you make spirals in your drink with one of the cherries. 

The smirk hasn’t left his face. “What’s on your mind, sparks?”

“What makes you think something is on my mind?”

“You always stir your drink when you’re pondering something. So what’s going on up there?”

You smirk, caught. But sex isn’t the only thing on your mind. “Is this…is this really okay? The three of us?”

“Why wouldn’t it be,” Eddie asks.

“ I…Whether it's friendship, something romantic, or a secret, deeper third thing, I don’t want to be any sort of wedge between the two of you.” 

“Sweet spark, I assure you the connection between Eddie and I is indestructible.”

“Especially now,” Eddie says as he takes a sip of his cocktail. 

Your eyes drop to the swirling bubbles in your soda. “So…you don’t think there would be jealousy issues?”

Nodding, Eddie squeezes your hand. “If you’d asked me that a couple of hours ago, I would’ve lied to you and said no, no issues.” 

“And now?”

“Neither of us is perfect,” he answers. “I can’t say I won’t get jealous any more than I can say when Johnny Splash will get better. But…I can tell you that if I do, I’ll say something.” 

You catch his stare with yours. “Promise?”

“Cross my circuits.” He seals the promise with a chaste kiss on your forehead. “I trust you both with my…everything. Which…you both…are.”

Tears glinting in your eyes, you kiss Eddie, grateful that he gave you another excuse to do so. His mouth opens beneath yours and you let his tongue glide in for a quick tour. After you pull back, you look at Volt.

“You?”

“I only read barcodes, so my view of the future remains cloudy. However, like most things, it comes back to trust, doesn’t it? I trust that both of you care about me.”

“True facts.”

“Therefore, I trust you both with my heart. If I should feel possessive or left out, I know that I am safe enough in your care to speak about it. And frankly, you can’t come between us when I’m quite happy to share with Eddie. It’s far too entertaining and endearing to watch you both behave like idiots for one another." 

Eddie rolls his eyes and sits back in his chair. “Fuck, I knew you’d be insufferable.”

Without taking his eyes off you, Volt purrs, “Yes, you did.” His voice takes on a new definition of sultry as he adds, “Besides, live wire, I think you’ll find our connection has a number of benefits that are…well-suited to this kind of arrangement.”

Raising an eyebrow, intrigued, you say, “Color me curious.”

That tantalizing laugh of his returns. “How did you find our dance this evening? Did you enjoy it?”

You don’t need to think for a second. “Absolutely. It was…wonderful. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised. You were dancing with both of us.”

Warring between awe and confusion, your brows climb to your hairline. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You were dancing with him,” Eddie says. “I was…along for the ride.” 

“Okay, so…it’s been a day. Could you run that by me one more time as if I were Tony.”

Volt barks a laugh while Eddie snickers. “While you and I had our lesson, I shared my experience with Eddie–.”

“--and I felt it as if I was the one there with you.”

Speechless. Your flabber is well and truly gasted. 

“You…you guys can do that?”

With a sidelong glance at Volt, Eddie says, “Apparently.”

“It was the first time I’d attempted something like that. I am curious, live wire, did you notice anything at all?”

Turning your mind to the dance, you remember that a time or two you thought you were looking into Eddie’s eyes rather than Volt’s. 

“I think I did. So wait then…who did I kiss?”

“Both of us,” Volt answers matter of factly. 

You can practically hear the record scratch in your mind. Your toes curl just thinking about that kiss. “That…that was kissing both of you?”

“Was it that bad,” Eddie asks. 

“Bad? Oh my fucking god, no. It was incredible. I’m going to be dreaming of that kiss for the rest of my life.” Then a thought strikes you. “So, that means you’re at a deficit.” 

“How so,” Volt asks. 

Gesturing to Eddie you explain, “He’s gotten multiple solo smooches, but you haven’t. Seems unfair to me.” 

Volt’s lovely face takes on a shade of pink. “That does seem like an egregious oversight.”

“I should make it up to you.” 

“Oh, should you,”he asks. “What ever did you have in mind?”

Turning to Eddie, you say, “Pardon me, just a sec.”

“By all means.”

You spin so that your back is to Eddie then lean in toward Volt. As you pull him to you by his vest, Volt’s arm closes around you. You bring your mouth to his and he leads you in a languorous dance. Though just as enthralling as its predecessor, there is a difference in the melody and timbre of the kiss. No one is trying to impress, or hide a piece of themself. This kiss is both charged and lazy. He takes his time, allowing you to savor him. Beneath this leisure, however, you feel the heat of mounting desires. Your limbs quiver  as Volt pulls away.

He smiles, well aware of the answer before he asks the question. “Was that to your liking, my dear?”

“It’s a good start,” you answer. 

When the hour has grown small, the conversation slows as words are replaced by long, soft looks and lingering touches. Eddie sits to your left, close enough for you to smell his cologne and the scent of a storm. One arm is behind your shoulders while the other curls loosely around your waist. To your right, Volt sits in his backwards chair, one hand on the back while the other holds yours. Occasionally, he lays gentle kisses on your knuckles. 

As for you, the adrenaline crash is upon you but is also tempered by your lovestruck high. You sway in your seat as a comfortable, syrupy warmth spreads through you. 

With the back of his hand, Eddie strokes down your cheek. “Looks like you need to get some rest,” he says. 

“Not yet,” you pout, voice small and sleepy. 

He chuffs, amused. “Do I need to kick you out?”

Bleary-eyed, she studies him. “You wouldn’t.”

“I might.”

As you think of a retort, it flies from your thoughts, disappearing into the black void behind your eyelids. You’ve fallen into the trap of the Long Blink. Though you open your eyes, they refuse to focus properly. When you blink again, your eyes stay shut and your breath becomes a slow susurration that reminds you of ocean waves. In and slowly out again, a lazy tide on a black sand beach bathed in moonlight. Maybe you’ll just sit and let the cool waves lap at your toes. 

She jerks at the sound of his voice, eyes flying open. “I’m fine.”

***

“You’re falling asleep where you sit, darling,” Volt says warmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Eddie chuckles. “Sparks, go to bed. We’ve kept you out late. Betty and Abel are probably worried about you.”

“But neither of you are going to be there.”

Sharing a look over their human’s head, Volt is the first to suggest it. 

There’s no reason she can’t stay.

Will that work, do you think? With the glasses?

Possibly.

Do you think she’d…

Only one way to find out, Eddie.

“You…could always…sleep here,” Eddie says haltingly. 

She knuckles her eyes and yawns. “I can?”

“Come upstairs with us,” he says, rubbing her shoulder. 

Eyes wide, she looks at both of them as if this was the big secret they’ve been keeping from her. “There’s an upstairs?”

Volt laughs gently. “We have a flat above the bar. It’s small, but there is certainly room for you, live wire.”

“Dammit. The Dateviators…they need to charge and I–.” 

When she sways again, Eddie’s hands steady her as he draws her against his chest. With one finger he lightly presses the edge of the silver frames. Pink soda bubbles flow in the lenses, and the glasses are fully charged. 

“Okay, that’s cool,” she slurs.

Volt places a kiss atop her head. “Regardless of the where, dear, you really do need to sleep.”

“But–.”

Eddie is up from his chair before she can say another word, and all protests are replaced by a surprised squeal as he hauls her out of her chair and into a princess carry. Her laughter is musical as she melts into his arms. 

Finally back where she belongs, Eddie thinks to himself. Against his chest, sharing breath. Intimate and safe. 

“Where can I take you,” Eddie asks.

Her eyes linger on his lips before she grins with delight. Stroking across his stubble, she says softly, “I love that smile.”

For fucksake…

She is adorable. 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Alright. You’re not just tired, you’re delirious. C’mon.”

“Where are we going?”

“Command decision.”

“Fine.” She lets her head fall against Eddie’s chest with an affectionate thud.

“If you don’t mind.” 

***

As Eddie carries you away, Volt chimes up, “Get the door for you then, shall I?”

Instead of aiming you toward the Breaker Box exit, Eddie steers you to a door marked ‘Keep Out.’ Volt opens it and bows with a flourish.

Eddie carries you up a tiled staircase with mosaics just as lovely as those in the club. When you reach a landing, he carefully sets you on your feet and opens the door into their flat. 

“My dear spark,” Volt says, “welcome to our home.” 

Immediately you can see each man’s influence. Antique 1930s furniture of old, supple leather, Edison bulbs and polished wood floors carry Eddie’s vintage aesthetic and efficient sensibilities. Splashes of chaos and color decorate the exposed brick walls with vintage alcohol ads, framed broadsheets, to advertisements of the Spotlight’s many storied acts. You see a very young I., Ronaldini, and even Lady Vagabonda, the barcode reader. 

Volt folds his coat over the back of a sofa before taking your hand in his. With a gentleman’s decorum and the smile of a devil, Volt guides you to the nearest door. “Right this way.” 

The bedroom is a simple affair with a glossy walnut armoire, bureau and bedframe. Gun metal gray, pinstriped sheets and blanket remind you of Eddie’s eyes. Like a gossamer drape, moonlight streams in through a nearby window. Somehow you know that this is Eddie’s bed.

Volt looks at you adoringly and strokes your arms. “Now, my glorious live wire, how can we make you comfortable?”

Looking down, you mutter, “I don’t know if this is weird–I mean, I know I’ll be out cold in a few minutes, and I swear this isn’t a line, but I’d really like to…get out of these clothes.” 

She looks over her shoulder and meets Eddie’s gaze. One side of her mouth rises in a smirk and color spreads over her cheeks. “I mean, I’m pretty tired. I wouldn’t turn down the help.”

***

Eddie’s boots slip from his grasp and fall loudly to the floor. He tries to think, but his mind is full of static. From behind his human, he watches Volt’s expression shift from accommodating to amused. Surprising himself and Volt alike, Eddie trepidatiously asks, “Do…you, um…want a hand? With…with that?” 

Eddie’s skin flushes magma hot and just as red. 

Dear Eddie, have we lost you?

Shut up.

“Don’t trouble yourself for a second, live wire. I do believe we are just the things you need,” Volt says. He crooks a finger, lifts your chin then meets your eyes. “As long as this is what you want and not what you think we want.”

“It is. It’s what I want.” 

Something about how she says it bothers Eddie. A clipped tightness. “Are you sure,” he asks. “You seem uneasy.”

Letting out a quivering breath, she says, “I want you guys to, um…see me. And it scares me. Not because of you,” she adds quickly. 

Eddie moves behind her, laying a gentle hand on her arm. “Why?” 

“I’m afraid you…won’t like what you see. I mean, I’m well aware that my body’s not exactly the ideal human specimen or whatever. And I guess I’d rather,” her voice trails off. “If you’re going to be disappointed I’d rather know it now and not…well, later.”

Volt looks at her with a tinge of sadness in his expression. “Oh, my dear spark. Who told you that you are anything short of stunning?”

“There’s a list. Also, I have mirrors,” she says. 

“And we have eyes,” Eddie counters. 

“I’ve got fat rolls, thick thighs. This body has seen neither sun nor razor in a hot fucking minute. My boobs are–.”

Volt takes her hands and gently says, “Live wire, stop. Do you think my compliments are mere flattery?”

“No, that’s Amir. I just…it’s hard to believe sometimes no matter who says it.” 

“You are staggeringly beautiful. In fact, I’m fairly certain that Eddie has quite literally stumbled over himself a time or two.”

“It was the red dress,” he says, as if that’s all the explanation necessary. “And you’re just as gorgeous in your pajamas with your hair in a messy bun.”

Volt meets her stare. “Trust. Remember?”

When she smiles, it’s genuine. She nods. “I trust you both.”

Volt leans down and lays a kiss on her forehead then one on her cheek before finally landing on her lips. “So, do you still want us to help with your sartorial dilemma?”

“Yes,” she says. 

“And this can be all,” Eddie says awkwardly. “I mean…it can just be clothes. It’s not…it’s not like we expect–you can just go to sleep.”

She nods then whispers, “Can I…help you?” After looking to both of them for understanding, their spark’s voice catches and for a moment it’s as if she’s been rendered mute. “I want to be close.”

“Of course,” Volt coos. “Our dear Eddie has a bit of a head start on things, but I’m sure you and I can catch up rather quickly. May we touch you, live wire?” 

“Yeah.”

Eddie draws in a breath and exhales shakily. “Tell us if we need to stop.” 

Volt purrs. “We won’t take so much as a stitch more than you desire. This is about you. Your comfort. Your trust.” 

When she meets Volt’s gaze, he is surprised to find that the exhaustion has all but burned away from her eyes, replaced by confidence. Eddie presses himself against her back, gently pushing her hair to one side. His lips leave a tentative, restrained trail down her neck. 

She giggles. “That tickles.” 

“Turnabout, sparks.”

Though your stomach is in knots, you take the initiative and kiss Volt while your fingers deftly unfasten his vest. He hums with delight into your mouth, inching closer and taking your face in his hands. Your own slide up his chest, fingers splaying the expanse of his pecs. You slip the vest over his shoulders then hear it hit the floor. Stare holding yours, Volt slowly kneels as if you’re a goddess standing before him. Without a word, he cups your calf muscle, carefully lifts your foot then removes your shoe. 

***

You feel Eddie’s smile against your throat, the puff of air splashing over your skin as he chuckles. As his kisses grow more assured, the warmth of his breath thaws the cold, creeping anxiety, allowing you to melt into the touch of your lovers. 

While Volt tends to the other, Eddie’s fingers tremble as he finds your hips. Massaging the very same areas that make you so self-conscious, Eddie notices you’re shivering, not with cold but with nervous anticipation.

“You’re soft,” he murmurs, enjoying the feeling of your curves. 

His hands slip around your waist and hover just above the button of your jeans. In a low voice, Eddie asks, “You’re sure?”

Lifting a hand over your shoulder, touching his cheek, you find his eyes. “Yes.”

A rumble rises from his chest as thumb and forefinger slip the button free before taking the zipper on a slow journey downward. Bringing them back to your hips, he puts his hands in your pockets and pushes your jeans down one agonizing inch at a time. 

Eddie’s breath shudders against your throat. “You’re incredible,” he says. 

As your pants reach your knees, Volt takes over and eases you out of them one leg at a time. The night air is cool against your bare thighs despite the rising heat between them. Volt’s soft hands glide over your legs, and he lays delicate kisses on them during his ascent. You sigh, marveling at the tenderness he shows you. He touches you with reverence, as if each and every inch of you is holy. 

“You call your thighs thick like it’s an imperfection. I look at you and see the divine, every part of you a blessing. Lush is what you are, live wire.”

His mouth is on your exposed neck, hair buzzing softly against your skin. 

“A garden of succulent delights.”

You listen to him praise you, and the strangest thing happens. You believe him. The syllables tripping off his silver tongue strike you like rays of golden sunshine. His words come from a place of truth, not pity or empty adulation. 

Taking your earlobe between his teeth he chuckles seductively. “I do wonder how you’ll taste on my tongue.”

Your breath quickens, but your voice catches in your throat. No one has ever spoken to you that way. No one has ever composed an ode to you while lavishing your body with genuine appreciation. What do you say? How do you respond to Volt’s devotion?

Rather than use words, you let your fingers speak for you. Eyes locked on his, you work your way down the row of buttons before tugging his shirt out of his pants. Indulging yourself, you let your palms wander the solid wonder of Volt’s hard chest. Beneath your hands, his body hums with a low current that charges you with need. Your breath falls over a nipple as your lips climb up his clavicle and throat before placing a cheeky kiss on his lips. 

You turn around to face Eddie. 

His eyes are closed tight, fingers flexing. At first, you think he’s angry. Or maybe nervous. But the tick in his jaw tells you this is not anxiety. You’re witnessing restraint. 

Your touch is barely a whisper up his sweating abs. As you travel up his chest, you peel his shirt over his shoulders, but linger, tightening the fabric in your fists and pulling him against you. When your lips brush his, he opens his eyes and meets your gaze. There’s something vulnerable in his expression, almost as if he’s worried about what you think of his body. Your fingertips trace along the scars. Some of them are velvety and sinuous while others are raised and jagged. As you let the shirt fall away, you bring your lips to a scar and place a featherlight kiss upon it. Eddie draws in a breath then sags with a low groan as you continue across his chest. 

Eddie’s hands slide up your spine then he wraps you in his arms, relishing your plush warmth. As he rubs your back, he sighs contentedly and says your name. “Do you want us to stop?”

Shaking your head, you guide Eddie’s hands to the hem of your shirt. “No.”

His nimble fingers curl around your shirt and pull it slowly over your head. Volt takes your wrists in your hands as he slips the shirt off and drops it along with your jeans. With a grace that is decidedly Volt, he languidly drapes one arm around his neck. He takes the hand of the other and tenderly kisses your fingers. 

Closing your eyes, you relish the sensations of Eddie’s callused hands hot against your skin; Volt’s tingling touch, pushing your hair to the other side to devote his attention to your throat. As Eddie nips at your collar bones, you gasp then let out a low laugh.

The sleepy request for vulnerability has swelled to something more as feverish desire invigorates you. For weeks, this moment has consumed your dreams. Their hands on you. Your mouth exploring theirs. Luxuriating in the heat of their bodies, one on either side. 

As Eddie’s teeth bite into you, Volt sucks your heartbeat, eliciting a gasp that gives way to a broken moan. Eddie sucks in a breath while Volt navigates the curves of your torso, grazing the sides of your breasts. 

His lithe fingers tug at the clasp of your bra while Eddie’s teeth toy with a strap.

“May I,” Volt asks. 

From your shoulder comes a ragged whisper. “Please.”

Something deep inside you pulses, a craving that has remained unslaked for a very long time. You cradle Eddie’s head against you. “Yes,” you breathe. “Keep going.”

Eddie growls hungrily. You feel your bra go slack and he peels the straps down, your breasts exposed to the dim room. 

“Live wire,” Volt sighs. “Your body is glorious. You should see yourself. The way the moonlight caresses your curves and glints in your hair. Artt himself could never capture just how lovely you are.”

In front of you, Eddie praises you with his mouth and the increasingly palpable hunger guiding it. Dragging his hands down your ribs, he grasps your hips and moans. Reaching out, you hook your fingers around his belt loops and pull so that he crashes against the roll of your hips. He inhales sharply, forehead pressing against your shoulder.

His resolve creaks beneath the weight of his need. He is devoted to following her lead, letting her dictate the pace, but something primal inside him strains to pounce, to be unleashed. Nodding, his voice comes out low and dark. “Yes. Fuck yes.”

***

Her fingers move quickly, unfastening Eddie’s belt. “Is this okay,” she asks.

Eddie’s thoughts spin wildly with fantasies and what ifs, working himself into a knot of anxiety, hunger and ecstasy. He wets his lips. All he can think of is putting his mouth on her again. All of her. Eddie growls at the mere thought of tasting her breasts, of his tongue flicking against her nipples. He imagines kneeling and tearing off those panties with his teeth before worshipping her until the only words she can say are their names. 

As if Volt can sense Eddie slipping away into his own head, he says privately, Just be here, Eddison.

His attention returns to the moment to find she’s stripped him down to boxers, his coarse hands clutching her supple ass while she teases herself against the tip of his swelling member. Gritting his teeth, he clenches with self-restraint as he feels a surge building. Not his orgasm, but the surge that will propel him into her like a starving animal. He bites back these cravings, afraid of losing control, of being too much. 

Forehead against hers, Eddie moans, “Fuck, sparks.”

“That’s the idea,” she breathes. 

Stunned silent, Eddie searches her eyes for assurance. For her consent. What he finds is a wolfish grin. 

Lips brushing against her ear, Volt asks, “Are you certain?

Her breath quickens, keeping pace with her rhythm. “Yes.” 

Straining against his need, Eddie sucks a mark onto her throat. “Say it again. Say you want this.”

“I do. I want you. Mmmf! Bo-both of you.”

Shuddering, eyes fluttering closed, her head falls forward onto Eddie’s shoulder. Strands of hair trail along his skin, sending chills rocketing through him. Whimpering, she grinds against the erection that aches for her. 

Volt laughs wickedly. “My dear, you’d better say it again, just to be sure. You want us to have you?”

“Yes,” she cries. “Please.”

Those words break the last bonds holding back Eddie’s hunger. Snarling, Eddie takes her face in his hands and kisses her with reckless abandon. No more thoughts, no more waiting, just her sweating skin beneath his mouth and her sweet noises ringing in his ears. 

She moans into Eddie’s kiss, grinding harder against him. Volt’s fingers tighten around her upper arms, holding her up as Eddie’s lips travel down her throat, biting and sucking ravenously. When his mouth closes over her nipple, she gasps and bucks against him. 

“Mmmm, Eddie.”

He toys with her nipple, pulling it taut in his teeth before letting go with a soft pop. As he claims her mouth with another burning kiss, Eddie slams his hips against hers. She arches to meet him, her fingernails digging crescents into the back of his neck. 

“My dear,” Volt says, “what have you done to Eddie? I’ve never seen him so feral. Must be some sort of witchcraft in your lips, live wire.”

When he breaks his kiss, Eddie stares at her gorgeous face; flushed red, lips swollen, sweat pearling at her hairline. She meets his eyes, questioning. 

With a growl, Eddie spins her around and grips her hips, fingers unyielding.

“Show him.” 

“Did I find something,” Eddie asks. His teeth snap on your throat and you moan with ecstasy. 

***

As Eddie grinds against your ass, he maintains your tempo. When his teeth graze the back of your neck, you hiss.

“Mmm, good to know,” Volt says, closing the small distance between you. His pillowy lips on yours are exquisite. Clinging to him, skin against skin, you clamp your eyes shut. There is only the feeling of Eddie behind you–solid, hot and damn near unraveling with every pulse against you–and Volt’s soft fingers ghosting over your collar bones and tauntingly down along the curve of your breasts.

His voice seems to come from all around you. “May I touch you, live wire?”

“Please,” you whisper. “Put your hands on me."

As his lithe fingers slowly caress your breasts, his thumbs roll across your nipples.  Gasping, you arch into his touch, head falling back against Eddie’s shoulder. You reach up beside you to touch his cheek, fingertips coaxing him in for a kiss. 

“You’re perfect,” Eddie says, breath splashing against your ear. His devotion suffuses his touch against your belly, your thighs, the curve of your ass. As he shakes his head, his hair brushes your neck. “You were supposed to be impossible.”

You’re grinding against the air, begging for more. Volt’s tongue paints a long stroke over your breast, lingering over your nipple just long enough to tease a hiss from you. As he kneads your breasts, you snatch his belt loops as you had Eddie’s and yank him forward. His deep laughter vibrates against your skin. 

“Something you need,” he asks cheekily. 

In response, your fingers frantically undo the button and unzip his pants. The line of hair that trails down his abdomen is a more subdued iteration of the glowing hair atop his head. It is silken to the touch, the soft current humming against your fingers as you trace it down to the waistband of his boxers. As you grind against him, you feel that current thrumming against your sex, low and constant. 

“Oh, shit,” you breathe, tightening your grasp around Volt’s pants. You tear them down and he finishes taking them off, leaving the three of you in naught but your underwear. 

When he speaks, Volt’s voice quivers slightly. “You seem to have found a second wind. You’re quite awake for us now, aren’t you?”

“Mmhmm,” you whimper. 

Your hips roll faster, seeking, craving, aching for the last barriers between you to melt away. As if they can read your mind, Eddie’s hands come to the waistband of your panties and tug tauntingly as his hips continue to move against you. You can feel the tension in his touch, the need that only grows each time your bodies meet.  

As his hands continue to massage your breasts, Volt’s mouth explores your neck, your chest. “What would you like me to do, live wire? Hmm?” His fingertips glide down your sternum, your abdomen, stopping just below your navel. 

Eddie’s fingers dip below your panties just to squeeze your hips tighter. “Is this where you want us to stop?”

Whipping around, you come face to face with Eddie and crush your lips against his. “Don’t you dare stop.”

He kneels slowly, peppering your body with hard, desperate kisses along the way down. When he places his mouth over your clothed mound, you buck into him with a surprised cry. 

“Mmmm, would you like that, dear spark? Eddie, worshipping you. I dare say he seems quite eager to devour you.”

Eddie’s groan vibrates over your entrance. As his fists clench around your waistband, he looks up to you and meets your stare. “Can I? Please, can I take them off?”

“Mmhmm,” you whine. 

Volt’s hand on your cheek is soft. “You’re certain?”

You nod quickly. “Yes. Please, Eddie.”

Volt purrs in your ear, “Mmmm, good little spark. Asking so sweetly.”

“A-ah!” She pitches forward, hands grasping Volt’s arms around her while grinding against Eddie’s face. “Eddie,” she says with a whine.

***

The sound of his name on her quivering breath snaps the last of Eddie’s self-control. With his trademark efficiency, he removes her panties. Lifting one of her legs, he kisses her ankle…then the calf and knee. As he licks up her thigh, his lust blazes. He rests her leg over his shoulder. He lets his eyes feast the view. The moonlight and the glow of Volt’s hair illuminate her body in silvers, blues and deep black shadows. Her pouting lips, eyes clamped shut as Volt toys with her breasts; the way the moonlight limns her hair, her shoulders. All of those soft places, the rolls that make her nervous, her luscious thighs. Eddie’s mouth waters as his gaze finds the dewy stripe of arousal glistening in front of him. As he sucks a spot where her thigh and hip meet, he watches her mouth fall open with a sigh. Stare locked on her face, Eddie lays an open-mouthed kiss at her entrance.

Volt’s approval rumbles deep in his chest. “Don’t hold back,” he purrs. “We want to hear every song you have to sing.”

As his breath falls over her sex, Eddie watches his spark’s eyes flutter open, immediately finding his longing gaze. Without a word, he begs her for the privilege of another taste, one sweet noise to hold in his memory.

Panting, she nods. “More.”

With a famished growl, Eddie kisses her again, this time letting his tongue stretch inside of her. He licks a long, slow line through her folds before flicking against her throbbing clit. Her approval escapes on another of her delicious moans. Her head pillowed on Volt’s chest, she sighs and runs her fingers through Eddie’s hair. 

“I wish you could see your lovely face right now. The way pleasure drapes over this divine body of yours, blooming pink…the way your breath quickens when he drags his tongue just so..” His weightless touch moves down your form, slowly. “Mmm, Eddie, look what you’ve done to our live wire.”

***

Behind you, Volt is a solid, steadying presence. His silken hands roam your body, doting on your breasts. You set the pace for all three of you. A moderate tempo meant to savor each other. No need to rush. Not now. Your hips rock forward into the wet, soft heat of Eddie’s mouth, back against Volt’s hard length. Your body keeps the beat and changes the rhythm. Steady circles might become two quick and shallow pops of your hips, or perhaps one agonizingly slow drag against Volt’s twitching cock. As his pelvis moves in concert with yours, that static-like hum that surrounds Volt tingles against your ass. 

“I lo–ove how that word sounds…” you say. 

“Which word is that, dear one?”

Your voice comes as a trembling exhale. “Our.”

Volt wordlessly nuzzles your neck, nipping playfully near your jaw.

As Eddie adjusts your leg over his shoulder, his eyes take a meandering path up to your eyes. “You’re so fucking delicious. I’ve barely had a taste and you’re already my favorite meal.”

Volt’s laugh carries dark delights as he tilts your chin toward him then purrs, “I’ve often wondered how it would feel to hold you like this. I’ve thought about how you might taste, what sounds I could tease out of you with barely a finger laid upon you.” 

As a single finger draws a line between your breasts, Eddie’s tongue moves up your slit with the same speed and pressure. Volt’s mouth covers yours in a deep, languorous kiss. When Eddie settles over your entrance, his tongue moves in a pattern identical to Volt’s. 

Whimpering into Volt’s mouth, you reach your free hand behind you and palm his erection. He draws a long breath then chuckles, settling two fingers just above your aching clit while Eddie takes it into his mouth, sucking at the same pace as Volt’s circling touch. Volt breaks the kiss, freeing your wordless cry for both of them to hear. They moan in perfect unison, every movement synchronized to make you writhe. 

You’ve never felt this kind of pleasure. Grinding faster, you chase a peak that is just out of reach.

Eddie laps at you while Volt’s hand slowly moves up your body. 

“Please,” you say breathlessly. “F-fuck…please don’t stop.”

Your whimper cuts into a gasp as two fingers slip inside your dripping pussy. 

It’s building. That exquisite feeling deep inside you builds like a growing charge. You hear the obscene, wet noises of Eddie’s fingers sliding in and out of you. Looking down, you notice that while one hand tends to you, the other grips his thick cock. In the pale blue light, you watch as he pumps into his fist in the same relentless rhythm as his hand and tongue. With a groan that vibrates through your core, Eddie curls his skilled fingers. The burst of pleasure has you gripping his wrist. Clenching, climbing. 

Volt’s breath steams against your ear. “Look at what you do to him, live wire. And he’s not even inside you. Can you imagine if he were? The noises he would make with you so tight around him, milking him with every clash of your wondrous hips.”

You can imagine it, and as you do a plaintive moan fills the air. “Please, Eddie. I’m so close. So…ah!...fucking close.”

He groans, rhythm quickening. 

Tingles of static electricity pulse around you. Your scalp prickles, the hairs on the back of your neck, your arms, even the long hair of your head rises as if waiting for lightning to strike. 

“Come for us,” Eddie says, voice rough and ragged. Volt’s arm wraps around you, his hand pressing deliberately on your belly. 

The delicious pressure is what sends you careening over the edge. Nails digging into the back of Volt’s neck, arching forward, your mouth falls open. Crying out Eddie’s name, you hear his low, primal grunt as he comes with thunderous force. An intangible sphere of blue-white energy blasts through you, bringing your second orgasm crashing into you before you’ve ridden the wave of your first. The world disappears except for Volt’s strong arms holding you steady, Eddie’s fingers still pumping in and out of you, pace softening, slowing with the lazy rhythm of your hips. 

Kneeling in front of you, Eddie shines with the same blue-white light. It radiates from him like a halo. Your hand releases his hair and trails over his cheek lovingly. 

“Eddie. Mmmmm, my Eddie.”

At the sound of his name, his eyes clench and he kisses the palm of your hand. Then, after carefully sliding your leg off his shoulder, he stands. While he and Volt steady you, Eddie presses his forehead to yours then meets your lips in a breathless kiss. 

Taking his wrist, Volt brings Eddie’s fingers to his mouth and licks the taste of you with a low, satisfied moan. 

“Mmm, like sweet ambrosia,” he says. 

Legs trembling, your knees give way, but Volt’s arms are there to catch you. He effortlessly lifts you, cradles you against his chest and delivers you to the soft bed.

You’re on your back, head resting on a downy pillow as the sweat glistening on your body begins to evaporate. In a blissed out haze, you roll to your side. For a minute or a month, you lay there, basking in the afterglow of the most intense high you’ve ever experienced. Your senses are alight. The sheets are cool, crisp, and smell of cologne and citrus. The mattress shifts behind you. Even with your eyes closed, you know it’s Eddie sliding in place. His chest is hot and slick against your back, his hands gentle as they trace lazily along your curves. 

He strokes her hair, her shoulders, and kisses her temple. “I’ve been so afraid to want this,” he whispers. He buries his face in the crook of her neck and sighs, every muscle in his body relaxing into honey.

***

Eddie’s body shivers against hers, his ragged breaths splashing on her bared neck. Taking in her intoxicating scent, his emotions shift and blossom in kaleidoscopic variety. In addition to intense ecstasy, his entire being hums with adoration for her, with gratitude and utter contentment. 

Volt looks down upon the bed as Eddie’s arm wraps around her waist and draws her against him. She’s smiling dreamily, fingertips glancing along Eddie’s fingers. He’s never seen such a perfect example of bliss as what he sees before him. The love he holds for both of his precious charges fills his chest until it feels ready to burst. 

Stretching out in front of her, he situates himself so that she is tucked against his chest. Her eyes flutter open and meet his with a soft smile. 

She sighs. “You’re unbelievably beautiful.”

Volt takes her hand and places gentle kisses on her fingertips. “Kind of you to say, sweet spark. Although, the view of the two of you is rather satisfying.”

Eddie opens one eye, lifts his head and says, “Shut up,” before nestling into her once more. 

Her laugh comes from deep in her throat. “There’s the pillow talk I expected.”

“Hey, Volt’s the words guy.”

As she laces her fingers with Volt’s, she says to Eddie, “You did an awful lot of talking earlier tonight.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I practiced most of it for the two weeks you were gone. I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be back to normal. Well, in that regard at least.” 

“You’re staring, live wire.”

***

While Eddie drowses at your back, you face Volt, gazing at him and marveling at how the moonlight falls perfectly over his magnificent body. 

“Mmhm. Earlier, I was a little distracted. I didn’t get to truly appreciate you.” 

As your fingers dance down his chiseled abs, you come to that trail of fine white hair that leads down to the soft patch at the base of his cock. While he’s a little less girthy than Eddie, Volt’s length makes your eyes grow wide. When he chuckles, you let your fingers glide lower, your touch whisper-light. 

Stopping over his shaft, you look up into his eyes. “Is this okay,” you ask.

He smiles. “Feel free to indulge yourself, live wire.”

“You’re doing the thing again.”

“And what thing is that?”

“Seeing to others’ pleasure without asking for your own.” 

His features soften and he searches your eyes. Tone full of quiet wonder, he asks, “How do you see us so clearly?”

“You know,” you say, fingers continuing down Volt’s shaft, “Eddie and I got our whiskey and chocolate.”

Eddie’s voice is muffled by your shoulder, “Among other desserts.”

“You still haven’t said anything about what you want.” 

“And what leads you to think that seeing you both so content isn’t what I want?”

You lay your palm on his length then slowly, one finger at a time, take him gently into your grasp. “That’s sweet, love. And it still doesn’t answer the question.” Bringing your lips to within a breath of his, you say, “Tell me what you want.”

Taking his plump lower lip between yours, you give it a slow suck, all the while tightening your grip around his length.

“She will badger you until you do,” Eddie adds. “She’s tenacious.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Volt says with loving sarcasm.

“Tell me.”

He draws in a breath as you tug his growing erection then lets out a moan that sounds an awful lot like your name. Forehead against yours, he fixes you with that starlight stare. 

“Seeing you atop Eddie was quite thrilling. Tantalizing. The way your hips tormented him so when you were sitting tall above him. Or when your task caused you to shift and lean in close. And all I could do was watch him respond to your touch and dream of seeing that succulent view for myself.” He traces lines over your cheek, down your throat, coming to rest over your heart. “That is what I want, live wire. You riding me so I can see that gorgeous face of yours when I bring you to ecstasy. Again. And again.”

Volt pulls your lips to his in a gentle, languid kiss. You sigh, luxuriating in the feeling of his tongue twisting with yours. When he moans into your mouth, it sends a shudder straight through to your center. Grinding slow and hard against him, you chuckle darkly. “You want to be inside me,” you ask teasingly.

“Fuck,” Eddie breathes behind you. He squeezes your hip, anchoring himself to you, to the moment. 

“More than anything,” Volt answers, voice low. 

Hand gliding up his chest, you lay tender kisses on his mouth, his jaw, his throat. As you arrive at his shoulder you push him onto his back while hauling yourself over him. As your legs settle on either side of him, you paw down Volt’s pale chest. Reaching his abs, you graze his skin with your fingernails, drawing a hiss from his perfect lips. 

You toy with the tuft of white hair at the base of his cock and his hips rise to meet your touch. When his member jumps, you grin impishly. You are a puppeteer, the slightest movements of your fingers making him dance and writhe beneath you. As you take him into your grip, his eyes close and he lets out a long sigh. 

“Live wire,” he says, hands gliding feather-light down your sweat-slick body. 

Shifting so your weight is on your knees, you slide Volt’s pretty dick along your still-wet slit, teasing yourself with his leaking tip. 

“F-fuck,” Eddie sighs. You look to find him on his back, his hand is pumping his own heavy cock. When his eyes open and he sees you staring, he grips himself tighter, strokes becoming longer, settling on whatever tempo you set as you ride Volt.

Turning your attention back to Volt, you find he’s looking at you adoringly. His hands press up your thighs, digging his fingers in appreciatively. 

“Such strength in these thighs,” he says, kneading. “Then again, that’s you isn’t it, live wire? Immeasurable power wrapped in warmth and softness.”

Smiling, you lean down to kiss him, your hair falling lightly across his skin. You can feel Volt’s rumble of pleasure beneath your breastbone. As you roll against Volt’s quivering cock, you lick up his long throat, stopping to suck his Adam’s apple. He moans, a sound that reverberates through your body. You shudder, dragging your clit along his length while his humming current vibrates along your mound.

When you moan his name, Volt groans, a noise both sinful and heavenly. 

After slipping your hand around his cock, you align him with your entrance and slowly spiral down his length. First the head. Then lower…spreading your knees wider to open for him. 

Volt’s cock is hot inside you, deliciously so. The pinch of him pushing through your folds makes you gasp and twitch as you settle atop him one hard inch at a time. His head falls back into the pillows, a breath of ecstasy escaping. Lightning fast, he grips your hips with enough force to bruise then thrusts up into you, burying his length to the hilt. 

“Mmm, yes,” you cry.

He chuckles. “Such a simple word, ‘yes.’ And I do love to hear you say it.”

You repeat yourself. Often. And with great gusto as the two of you settle into a rhythm that hits that glorious spot deep inside you, and lingers against your clit with each delicious stroke. 

Leaning down, you kiss him hard and deep all the while working up and down his cock. Out and slowly back in. Your lips trace down over his jaw, nipping playfully at his throat, his clavicle. Your tongue traces up the salty flesh of his pecs. When you take his nipple between your teeth, he bucks up into you with a sharp inhale.

You rise, sitting tall atop him. Rolling your hips brings your clit against that perfect current. It’s perfect, sending a jolt through you that echoes through every cell. 

Eddie groans beside you. “You feel so fucking good.”

“Like velvet,” Volt agrees. 

“Like home.” 

Your walls flutter with pleasure, tempo driving faster. You take one of Volt’s large, smooth hands and slide his fingers in a burning line down your body, positioning his thumb just above your clit. As you grind against him, your pussy purrs with delight, begging for more. You clamp around him, milking his shaft with each of your pulses. 

His voice blends with Eddie’s–a two-part harmony of desire and need. Whimpers and moans, oaths and curses. All for you.

You ride him toward your ecstasy, chasing it.  Volt groans as you squeeze him ever tighter.

“Mmmmy live wire. My love,” he babbles breathlessly. “I can feel you–mmmmmf–feel you getting close.”

The tandem moaning, the grip Volt maintains on your hips, the way Eddie’s eyes watch your tits bounce…it all propels you closer. Your body tingles, tiny hairs rising again.

“Oh, fuck. F-fuck,” Eddie rumbles. “Sparks, please.”

“Harder,” you say, voice hoarse. Volt bucks into you with deep, devastating thrusts, matching your haste beat for beat. You see a deep ache in his pleading expression. “I need you,” he says. “I need to see that stri-i--king face.”

In your periphery, something sways in the air. It takes you a moment, but as you shift in the moonlight you realize it’s your hair floating out to either side as if you’re weightless. 

“Volt!--Ah!--Oh, god. Don’t stop. Feels…mmm f-f-feels so good.”

Small bolts of static electricity pop and arc painlessly in your hair. The tingling in your scalp races down your body. You pitch forward, hands bracing against Volt’s chest. As your nails dig into him, they flare with electricity. 

“We’re close,” Eddie moans. “Shit, we’re so fucking close.”

“Sing, live wire. Let us hear you.”

“Fu-uck.”

“Sing for us.”

As your cries fill the room, Volt grips your hips, holds you tight above him and thrusts up into you with enough force you think you’ll fly across the house. 

“Volt! God… Volt!”

The sound that bursts from you is one you’ve never made. At first, you’re not even sure it’s you until the blinding pleasure whites out your vision. You fall forward, bracing yourself on Volt’s broad shoulders, riding him hard and fast through each wave, every aftershock of your intense climax.

As they cry out with their own orgasms, identical blue spheres of light pulse out of Volt and Eddie, each crackling with white streaks of electricity. 

The effect is immediate and devastating. Your entire being ignites, every nerve alight with pleasure. Your head flies back in ecstasy as you brace yourself on Volt’s chest with shaking arms. All you know is sweet pleasure, bright and white, blotting out all thoughts as their power surges through you. 

When you open your eyes, you’re lying against Volt’s chest. His hands grip your ass as he rocks into you, easing you both down from your highs. As your racing heart begins to slow, and your rhythm stills, you go slack against his solid body. 

Panting, aching with the bliss of the moment, you close your eyes. You feel Eddie shift beside you, rolling over to push your hair out of your face. He places tender kisses by your eyes, down your cheeks, your shoulder before nuzzling his head against your arm. Your senses are too sharp, you can almost hear the stars twinkling far away. Eddie’s kisses sear your flesh while Volt’s embrace feels as if he’s taken the cool, gossamer drape of moonlight and wrapped you in it. 

You lie cradled against Volt, fading in and out of consciousness. Beyond the darkness behind your eyes, you hear them.

“Beautiful,” Volt whispers. “Beyond measure.”

“So fucking perfect,” Eddie groans, nuzzling your shoulder. “So perfect for us.”

“Made for us.”

You drift above and within your body, rising and falling at the whim of Volt’s breath. A long blink. You’re on your back. There’s the sound of running water. Gentle hands along your thighs. The feeling of a warm, wet cloth between your legs. Then you feel yourself propped up, a strong hand cradling your head. Something cool presses gently against your lips. 

“Sip, sparks. Not too much too fast, okay?”

Icy water streams down your parched throat before you float away again. 

“Our precious live wire. So good to us.”

Finally, you are laid gently upon a cloud where you are surrounded by warmth, peace, and music. A tune that resonates not in your ears, but in your soul. Glass-smooth notes in a three-part harmony that feels like eternity. You let its chords carry you into the arms of your lovers and together you melt into sweet, sweet oblivion. 

As Eddie gazes at them, he is overwhelmed by gratitude. The impossible and unexpected, drowsing in front of him in a downy bliss. He has awakened into this strange world where she is his and he is hers. Eddie’s fingertips stroke her hair where it fans over the pillow. His lips against her forehead are feather-light.

***

When his eyes open, moonlight has been replaced by the wan, gray light of pre-dawn. She lays on her back beside him, lips parted, expression one of blissful slumber. The gentle susurration of her breath comes slow and even. With her head pillowed against Volt’s shoulder, her right arm stretches across his chest, hand beside his right cheek. His head leans down into her hand as if they had fallen asleep mid-caress. 

Sliding down the bed, Eddie rests his head against her heartbeat then wraps his arm around her waist. She is the only lullaby he needs. Moments later, she stirs, her left arm falling limply over his shoulders. As sleep comes to take him back into its embrace, he whispers into your dream, “I love you, sparks.”

There will be a series masterlist that separates this series (Chapters 1-20) from pre-and-post realization stories as those come out. The schedule up to this point has been pretty regular, but going forward that's likely to change, so subscribe here or on Ao3 to stay in the loop.

EEEEE! Thank you for reading this far with me! This is the final chapter in the main game arc (Love route.) But we're not finished!

Does Dorian get his truffles?

What's a night at the club like now?

What about that one show with Amir?

Are Eddie, Volt and Jon going to play nice together?

How do Eddie, Volt and Live Wire/Sparks cope with the aftermath of Reset Night?

What about Realization!?

And hey, there's more smut!

As the darkness grows thick and suffocating, you step back seeing the comfort of the wall behind you only to come into contact with something long and sinuous. With a yelp, you whip around. A metallic SNAP! startles you out of your skin. You tumble backward and fall to the floor just as the power surges to life with a steady hum. Once your eyes adjust to the light, you are faced with the sprawling power grid. It fills far more of the wall than you’d been able to see with just the flashlight. As you stand slowly, you turn in a lazy circle. Taking it all in, you see fuses blinking in a steady rhythm beside switches and breakers. Wires creep along the ceiling like an intricate canopy woven of copper and cable that vines its way back down onto the next wall. 

The room is the power grid.  

“Holy shit,” you breathe. “Eddie, how the hell do–.”

As you come to face them you freeze. There are no tools on the floor. No flashlight. Volt’s coat and Eddie’s vest are nowhere to be seen. 

And you are alone. 

They’re gone. 

“No. Nononono no.”

In a few long strides you burst out of the door and into the long brick hallway.

You need to be here, whole and real. Both of you dammit.

Sprinting down the corridor beneath the amber Edison bulbs, you pass the limp velvet ropes and the chairs stacked on the tables. Everything is just as it had been weeks ago when Eddie taught you to patch a wire.  

If it weren’t for your rapid footfalls on concrete, you’d think you’d gone deaf. The Breaker Box is eerily silent. No music. No conversation. Not even the sound of melting ice settling in the glass.

You round a corner and skid to a halt on the stage.  The lights above you burn hot and brittle. The spotlight is aimed directly at you. Squinting, your attention sweeps the room. The dark tables are upright and pristine with flickering candles on each one. Chairs await the patrons. Neon gleams on glossy ceramic tile and across a floor clear of shattered glass and spilled drinks. 

The Breaker Box–the pinnacle of luxury and entertainment–looks ready to open for business. But there is no inimitable host, nor is there a cranky bastard behind the bar to greet you. Until…

“Over here.”

Stepping out of the spotlight and jumping down–ow–from the stage, you blink the spots out of your eyes. Finally able to focus, you wonder if what you’re seeing is a cruel mirage. Eddie sits on his favorite barstool, shirt open and vest unceremoniously thrown over the bartop. 

Elation and anxiety clash in your belly. You want so badly to believe this is real. It takes every ounce of restraint to stop yourself from racing to him like this is a cheesy movie and you’re in a field of wildflowers or on a rain-soaked city street. 

As you approach, hand gliding along the shining bartop, you see that Eddie looks far better than he did moments ago. His color is back to normal, healthier even. The smirk on his face reminds you of the playful Eddie you shared drinks with a couple of weeks ago. Your Eddie; if you can call him that. 

There's something brighter about him. More alive. His titanium eyes shine with a light you’ve only seen in one other place: Volt’s stare.   

Shifting on his stool, Eddie sighs contentedly then meets your gaze. “Hey there, live wire.” 

Just hearing the nickname, your stomach does somersaults. 

But…he doesn’t call me live wire?

Leaning an elbow against the bar, you stop next to him, close enough that you can feel a faint, staticky hum in the charged air between you.  

You bite your lip then hesitantly ask, “How do you feel?”

“I’m tired,” he says, raking a hand through his wiry hair. “But that’s normal after a reset. Other than that, I feel…” Eddie pauses as if searching for the right word. His mouth twitches into a smile. “I feel good. Stable. I had almost forgotten what this feels like.”

When you feel heat beneath your fingers, you realize your hand rests on his solid forearm. You don’t recall reaching out, but you need to touch him. He doesn’t flinch or gasp. Doesn’t pull away or move to the other side of the bar. Instead, he glances down at your hand with a bemused blink then chuffs.

“So um…” You swallow hard around the lump in your throat. “Live wire, huh? I don’t think you’ve ever called me that. It’s usually Volt’s thing.”

“Huh. Funny.” He flashes a smile that practically crackles with vitality, and you notice a scintillating glow in his eyes. “It felt natural to say.”  

Your cheeks grow warm. Drumming your fingers nervously, you look around the club again. 

There is still no sign of Volt. 

“Some good work you did,” Eddie says, tapping the plate on his chest. 

Your white-knuckled grip on your emotions begins to slip. Tears bubble in your eyes and your voice cracks. “I had an excellent teacher.”

“Well, obviously.” 

His mouth curls into that smirk. The one that makes you feel like your insides have been replaced with fizzy soda bubbles. You laugh, grateful that it came out as a worn giggle rather than a snotty sob. 

You open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. When you try again, all you can do is let out a pop of nervous laughter. 

“What’s on your mind, sparks?”

Whatever is happening with the club–with you and Eddie–all feels fragile as glass. How do you explain something you barely have words for? How do you pour your heart out without drowning the both of you? There’s no roadmap for this conversation. No wisdom from Dasha, Dante or even Teddy can help you navigate this. 

“You, uh,” you gesture to his chest. “You might want to double check and make–.”

“I trust you,” he says.  

As your resolve crumbles away, you close the distance between the pair of you. Clutching his shirt, you pull him off his stool and press your head against his scarred chest. When you inhale his scent, the relief you feel is somewhere north of nirvana. It’s him. That citrusy, summer storm scent blends with a drying layer of sweat. Tears stream down your face and you can’t stop quivering. 

It’s your Eddie.

He never thought he would be lucky enough to have this. After the things he said. The distance. The way she melted into Volt. And how close they had all come to tragedy. Eddie can’t believe she wants to be here, pressed to him in the circle of his arms. 

***

Conceptually, he knows that this is the part where he gets to finally hold her. He’s thought about it, dreamed of it more times than he can count. Instead, Eddie stares at her head against his chest–dumbstruck and slackjawed. His arms hover near her body. As one of her soft hands grips the back of his neck, the other snakes around his waist and clutches him tightly. It’s then that he finds the courage to haltingly engulf her in his arms. When his fingers whisper along her back, any hesitation he feels evaporates. He clings to her, growling softly as he buries his face in that sacred nook between her shoulder and neck. Her plush curves are warm beneath his desperate touch. As Eddie listens to her small whimpers, her perfume relaxes him and stokes his hunger. 

Eddie’s fingers splay through her thick hair as he cups the back of her head. With a deep hum, he tightens his hold around her waist, swaying her slowly.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs reassuringly. “It’s over. You did it.”

“Don’t do that again, okay?”

Her shaking slows, and her exhausted body sags into his. A breath later he hears her let out an almost inaudible moan wrapped in a long sigh. For Eddie, this moment transcends the euphoria of the dance and the kiss that followed. This is something for him. Just him, just her and this golden intimacy between them. For decades, this kind of closeness has haunted him. He never knew it could bring him such peace.

Her grip tightens on his shoulder and her breath splashes across his bare chest.

“I won’t,” he says with a quiet laugh. Nuzzling her, he adds, “Cross my circuits.” 

Far too soon, she pulls away. Eddie’s hand lingers on her cheek, thumbing away her tears. 

Expression clouded with fear, she manages a single syllable. “Volt?”

“Right here, live wire.” 

“Are you…you’re okay, right?”

***

You spin to see Volt hopping from the stage, coat slung casually over a shoulder. As he moves toward you, the charm radiating from him is tempered with the vulnerability and softness of your Volt. 

Volt lays an arm over your shoulders and plants a kiss on the top of your head. His voice is quiet, sincere. “Quite literally better than ever.”

He starts to pull away, but you reach out to stop him. With a fist in each of their shirts, you pull them to you, your forehead pressed to both of their shoulders. 

Your Eddie. 

Your Volt. 

Their arms slip around you and you feel it: the completion of a circuit. Volt’s touch is delicate and sinuous as he traces shapes on your shoulder while Eddie holds you, one hand tight on your hip. Their scents mingle into one perfect aroma and you hear something…it’s music. A strained, suspended chord being resolved into a full-bodied three-part harmony. 

Once again, the weight of the evening is more than you can bear. When the tears come, your fists clench, holding them even tighter. 

“I…I thought I’d lost you both,” you say.

“Everything is alright,” Volt whispers. “We’re both here, live wire. We have you.”

Volt marvels, realizing that only hours ago, the shared experience of loving her was enough to bring him and Eddie both to the barest brink of winking out. Now, with one arm around Eddie and the other around his live wire, Volt feels the full weight of his happiness. They are the only audience that matters to him. His beloved charges. 

***

Though Volt’s love for his human is a more recent development than Eddie’s, it is no less fulfilling to feel her against him again. Her hand flattens over his steady current before moving her touch to his lower back. He tightens his hold around her shoulders while Eddie’s embrace remains at her waist.

When her shoulders loosen ever so slightly, Volt sees this as a victory. Even her silent, quaking sobs tell Volt the only thing he needs to know: she trusts them both enough to break apart in their arms. And that trust is a great gift indeed.

Inhaling deeply, he takes in her perfume, an intoxicating scent that evokes a calm night spent kissing in the moonlight and watching the stars amble along their spiraling path. 

***

You promised yourself that when it was over you could fall apart. Usually, you would keep the emotions at bay until you were safely away, alone, and able to let the dam crumble. But this time you’re not alone. Eddie and Volt are your safe place. Cradling you between them, they soothe you with calming words and light, languorous touches. 

“We’re safe.”

“I’ve got you.”

“You did so well.”

“So proud of you.”

Neither of them breaks the hug until you choose to. When you step back, you knuckle at your eyes and try to dry your tears with the heel of your hand. 

“Sorry,” you say with a nervous chuckle. 

They both cut you off. “No apologies,” Volt says. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for.”

Tugging at their sleeves, you counter, “But your shirts. I just sobbed all over them.”

“Live wire, they’re merely tears, and there are other shirts. There will always be a place for you in our arms, be it for a dance, a night, or simply to hold you.”

Stroking your hair, Eddie adds, “You have no idea what you mean to us.”

When they sense you’re ready, Eddie returns to sitting on his barstool while Volt guides you to sit on the adjacent seat. Volt winks at Eddie then chooses a chair from the nearest table. In one fluid movement, Volt spins the chair and sits in it, coat and arms draped artfully over the back. He smiles warmly. Though he speaks to Eddie, his stare rests on you as if sketching your face into his memory. 

“Eddie, did I interrupt a conversation? I seem to recall you telling me that you had something to say to her.” 

With one of his signature sighs, Eddie studies his hands. He struggles with each word. “You…were…right.”

“I’m sorry?” Putting a hand to your ear you tease, “I didn’t quite catch that.”

He gives you a warning glare that is full of affection. “Don’t push it.”

“My hearing is just off, I guess.” 

“You were right,” Eddie announces. 

You bat your eyelashes. “About what?”

“Annoyingly, about everything.”

“Oh, thank fuck. You still think I’m annoying.” You let out a long, relieved breath. “Go on. Keep telling me about how right I am.”

You expect him to roll his eyes and snark back, but his tone is sincere. “I thought that the only way to keep it all together was to break myself. That’s devotion, right? Sacrifice. As long as it kept the light on, damn the consequences. And–stupidly–I was holding on to all those ideas of how I thought things had to be.”

“Not stupid,” Volt says. “Stubborn, perhaps.”

“Eddie? Stubborn?” You feign shock. “Never.”

“I learned it from you,” he rumbles. “Stupid or stubborn, I wasted so much energy trying to be something it’s never been possible for me to be. I didn’t realize that all that did was trap us–all of us–in a situation that wasn’t working. And I…I don’t think I ever would’ve seen it.” He looks up at you, those titanium eyes gleaming with gratitude. “If it wasn’t for this obnoxious, annoying human hadn’t helped me.” 

Your laughter is thick with tearful, genuine joy. “Glad I could use my powers for good.”

“Dear spark, that is a colossal understatement,” Volt says. His lambent eyes and hair glow brightly, and his smile radiates with pride and love for you and Eddie.

You blow out another puff of relief. “You’re both okay? Really?”

 “Better than okay,” Eddie says. “You saved us. Both of us,” he adds, hooking a thumb over his shoulder to Volt. “You didn’t have to do, well…any of it. Being a pain in my ass after hours. Helping me around the club. Hell, you didn’t even have to ask about the power. And you absolutely didn’t have to do this,” he gestures to his chest. “You could’ve just walked in here that first night, had your fun with Volt and moved on to…whatever. But…you didn’t just show up. You stayed.” Tears appear in his eyes. His voice is tight. “Thank you. I can’t…you’re so…infuriating.”

Volt's voice is sumptuous as ever. “What he means is that he’s quite taken with you.”

With a sigh, Eddie rolls his eyes and growls warningly, “Volt.” 

“We both are.” Volt’s expression is warm and…enticing. “In case it wasn’t obvious.”

For a moment you’re at a loss for words. Despite all the flirting, the kiss and even seeing them so vulnerable, a sliver of you never expected that either of them would reciprocate your feelings. 

Bemused and slightly bewildered, you ask, “Taken with me? As in…”

Volt gives a slow, sincere nod. Tenderly, he answers, “As in.”

“As in,” Eddie says gruffly, “do we really have to spell it out?”

Eddie shoots a look at her, shocked. “Wait, really?”

Your cheeks burn brighter than your Fantastic Red Shirt, and you can’t get the smile off your face. Though you open your mouth to speak, what actually comes out is a giddy giggle. You’re giggling. Shit, you’re actually fucking giggling. “The feeling is very mutual.”

***

Oh, dear Eddie, didn’t I tell you?

Shut up. 

“Yeah.” She grins, eyes glittering as her attention settles on Eddie. “I’ve been into both of you since the night we met.”

Baffled, Eddie tries to form words. He scratches the back of his neck, and can’t quite meet her eyes. “I–I mean. We wouldn’t mind you sticking around. You know. If you wanted…to. Or…whatever.”

With a lighthearted chuckle, Volt says, “We’d be delighted to have you.”

“I’m delighted to be had.” 

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as his jaw falls down. Through their shared connection, Volt feels Eddie’s entire being tighten with elation and curiosity, quickly followed by disbelief and anxiety.

I imagined that, right? 

Well, I know you’ve imagined it on more than one occasion. Perhaps earlier this very evening. 

Volt, tell me I imagined it. 

I most certainly will not.

She stammers. “Uh, I mean…not that I…shit.”

That’s when Eddie realizes that after all this time, there are no secrets to keep. Neither he nor Volt has to maintain the charade of stability. Eddie doesn’t have to pretend he hates his human. No more hiding. No more artifice. He can love her out loud. 

“You know what,” she says. “Fuck it. I said what I said.” 

Eddie’s current skips and skin flares with hot tingles. 

Volt’s laugh is rich and smooth. “Live wire, you only need but ask.”

***

 Since you walked into the club that first night you’ve felt an unmistakable but entirely unjustified closeness with Eddie. That unshakeable feeling of familiarity soon grew into a crush. The crush quickly became an ache that only abated when he was nearby. Staying away from the Breaker Box had done nothing to lessen that ache. Instead you spent your nights thinking about the club and its proprietors. 

You’ve wondered what would have happened if you’d acted on your impulse that day with the ladder. When Eddie held both your body and stare with equal intensity. What if you had kissed him? Would he have stopped you? Dropped you? Kicked you out? Probably all of the above, really. 

But there was always that tiny sliver of ‘what if?’ lingering in your mind. Those thoughts you keep to the darkness of your bedroom, imagining Eddie’s strong, nimble hands and what those calluses might feel like against your skin. You’ve sighed into a pillow while fantasizing about the soft heat of his breath on your throat, his lips against your pulse. Afraid of who might hear, you’ve swallowed his name as those visions grew hungrier, more passionate. Even in your sleep, your dreams delve even deeper into your curiosity. In that place, two hands become four as Volt slips into the space behind you and explores your body with his languid touches and searing mouth. More than once in these past weeks, you have awakened to find yourself twisted in sheets and frustrated by the otherwise empty bed.

Sitting in the club, gazing at them and basking in the bliss of confessions and requited feeling, those bedtime desires spark within you. 

Across from you, Eddie stares at the floor. At first, his expression is pensive, deep furrows carving his brow. His mouth hitches into a smirk that uncurls into a smile that you find positively devious. Before you can ask what’s on his mind, he slips off the barstool, and closes the short distance remaining between you. Those steel grey eyes meet yours. He takes your hands in his and gently urges you to stand again.

He licks his lips, eyes hooded and gleaming with ideas. Anticipation sends shivers through you. All you have to do is tilt your head and lean forward.

***

Of all of the dreams that come unbidden, the ones that taunt Eddie the most are those in which he kisses her for the first time. There are trembling, whisper-soft kisses in some. Others feature arguments he can only end by crushing his mouth against hers. Though he’s imagined this more times than he can count, the reality is so much sweeter.

Eddie caresses her tearstained cheeks. Searching her eyes for permission, he receives it in the way her hands slide up his bare chest, the way she holds her breath. Unleashing years of need, he plunges his hands into her thick hair. As Eddie leans into her, his human’s eyelids flutter closed and her head tilts to welcome him home. 

When he experienced her kiss with Volt, Eddie thought he knew bliss. But this is different. Having her in his arms returning the kiss with surprising force–this moment is exquisite. The sweep of her tongue against his is both a dance and a duel. She curls her fingers around the back of Eddie’s neck, eliciting a surge of pleasure that courses through him. Pulling him closer, she deepens the kiss with a soft moan into his mouth. When her hand slides up and tugs at his hair, Eddie growls, his chest rumbling with a hunger that will not be slaked by a kiss alone. 

His hands settle on her lush hips, massaging her curves as he counts all of the ways he wants her. Between her time atop him–her scent, hair and breath teasing him–and this incandescent moment, fiery desire consumes Eddie. His hands tremble from the need to roam her body. 

Reluctantly, Eddie tears his lips from hers while he can still stop himself. Breathless, he opens his eyes, he sees glittering sparks appear just over her left ear. 

***

You’re pleased when you realize that like Jon, Eddie and Volt seem to be exceptions. You can allow yourself to relax in their arms, beneath their hands. You can trust them with your heart and your body. You’re not sure how much you can give so soon, but you can answer that question later. For now, it’s enough to simply relish the pleasure of Eddie’s delicious touch

Where Volt’s kiss was honeyed and slow, Eddie kisses you with urgency, a hungry passion. Beneath that heat, you can feel both catharsis and trepidation. And he isn’t alone.

Even with the Dateviators, most of your experiences have been surface level. You told Eddie it had been a long time since you were touched. Be it human or object, hugs and cuddles are difficult for you, let alone kisses and more. You want that intimacy. Ache for it. But after so long without touch, your dates with household objects have shown you that you’ve all but developed an aversion. Touch–especially sincere, loving touch without expectations attached–had become a foreign concept. Accepting it has become uncomfortable regardless of what you might want. 

Too soon, Eddie pulls away. Your chest heaves as you catch your breath. And you can’t stop smiling. 

Eddie speaks first. “Drink? Someone mentioned a whiskey sour and I’m suddenly thirsty. Very thirsty.”

“Oh, sweet fuck, yes please. And I do believe I was promised chocolate.”

Eddie looks over his shoulder. “Volt, the lady asked for chocolate.” 

Long legs unfolding as he spins the chair back toward the table, Volt dons his coat with the grace and flourish of a magician 

“Then chocolate she shall have,” he says. “I’ll pay a visit to Freddy and Mitchell and we’ll find something positively decadent for you.”

Emotionally wrung out yet giddy, you blurt out, "Other than kissing the two of you?”

Volt blushes, his smile radiant. “I’ll be back soon. But I know you’re both in good hands.”

As he passes by, you stop him with a tender touch. “Wait. What about you?”

He blinks as if genuinely confused. “About me?”

“Chocolate. Whiskey. What about you?”

He looks between you and Eddie, diamond-like tears forming in his eyes. Volt’s voice crackles like an old record. “I already have everything I want, my live wire.”

Chapter 18  — Chapter 20

Masterlist

When he hears the voices tumbling over one another outside the club, however; Eddie escalates to alarmed. The others create a chorus that only grows in number and volume until it sounds like a full house at the Breaker Box packed onto the landing. While Winnifred has gone back to her baseline power usage, Lux and Hector haven’t switched off yet. With an annoyed sigh, Eddie shoves up from the bar and shuffles out of the electrical closet to find out what the fuck is going on. 

In comparison to the stillness of the Breaker Box, the too bright light, sheer density of bodies and their tumbling voices are more than enough to set Eddie’s nerves alight. 

This is Hell. 

And they’re not just on the landing. A snake of other objects slithers down the stairs. Though most of the crowd chatters loudly, Eddie sees some remain silent. Betty, for example. She fidgets with her pink hair or chews her nails, casting worried glances to the closed bedroom door every few minutes. And Betty isn’t alone in her concern it seems. Leaning against Wallace, Florence paws at her tired eyes and twirls her tassels nervously. 

Though Eddie would love to know what is happening, he shudders just thinking about wading into the crowd. Thankfully, no one has noticed him, so he sets himself up as a barfly on the wall and listens as Bathsheba and Lux hold court. They seem to be the experts on whatever summoned the horde, their gossip bouncing around the throng of objects, words muddling together leaving Eddie with nothing more to go on than clipped syllables. 

The size of the crowd and the palpable fear plaguing so many expressions is enough to make Eddie’s stomach flop with dread. 

What the hell is going on in that bedroom?

Knuckles white, eyes red, Dorian guards the door, face set in his signature scowl.  When his mouth moves, Eddie hears nothing as the dizzying noise swallows his words. A moment later, Wallace lets out a booming “WALL!” 

The assembled objects go silent, many blinking in confusion. 

“Thank you, Wallace,” Dorian says, voice rougher than normal. His eyes never leave the crowd. “Now, I am aware that you are a curious lot, particularly as it pertains to the human’s activities this evening. Some of you worry and some of you are here for less savory pursuits. Regardless of motive, all of you must depart to the ground floor. This includes any denizens of the first floor bedroom, lavatory, closet and gym. Those dwelling in the attic may remain so long as they stay in the attic.” 

Without a second thought, Betty and Abel push through their fellow things and trundle downstairs wearing matching stoic expressions.

From nearby, Tony brushes back his coal black hair and stares, confused. “Ehhhaaahh, Dorian. This ain’t the first floor.”

Scandalabra tuts his tongue. “You are beautiful as brrrrilliant silver, dear boy, but you clearly lack the lineage of a laudable bauble such as myself. This is the first floor for those of us with a rrrrefined pedigree.” 

“Eh, I’m gonna go.” Tony nervously looks at Scandalabra and slides downstairs. By the time he sidles up to Bev’s, he’s completely forgotten why he wanted to be upstairs in the first place. 

“Dorian, you mean all of us got to go downstairs” Curt asks. Florence pats his shoulder and coaxes him away. As Celia follows, she takes Stella gently by the arm and the pair disappears down the stairs. It takes some time, but the crowd thins out. For every thing that leaves the landing, Eddie’s mind churns up a new terrible thought about what could have happened to the human. 

Dorian’s fingers surreptitiously touch Kopi’s arm as she moves to the stairs. 

“Wait a tick, love,” he whispers.

A few stragglers remain, noses to the sky, expressions haughty and entitled. Brows knitting together, Dorian’s knuckles tighten with a splintering sound. “This is not a request,” he simmers. “Everyone. Downstairs. Now.”

“Um, I’m streaming! Hello!” Lux crosses their arms dramatically. “My followers deserve constant updates–especially my premium subscribers. They are IN.VEST.ED!”

Bubbles pop, giving off the scents of vanilla, strawberries and honey as Bathsheba pleads her case. “I can’t simply walk away. Not when I’m so clearly needed. Besides, the tea is going to be piping hot and delicious,” Bathsheba adds, wiggling her fingers at Scandalabra. 

Scandalabra titters with laughter. “Go. Run along my claw-footed kindred. I’ll be sure to bring you tales most twisted.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort.” Dorian doesn’t blink. “You are all testing what little patience I have. Fuck off right quick before you incur my ire.” 

Lux and Bathsheba huff identical sighs and slowly make their way downstairs, complaining the whole time.

Scandalabra sneers down his nose at the door. “There’s no reason for me to go and we both know it. By casting me out, you only prolong the inevitable, Dorian. Before the cock crows, the flame of knowledge will burn bright ‘pon my brow.” 

Dorian bristles. His voice is menacingly quiet. “Listen here, wick.”

Eyes wide, Scandalabra gulps, his flame guttering as if blown by an arctic wind. 

“I have your attention, I see,” Dorian says. “Now, you seem to be under the impression that this situation is one of your silly scandals. It’s not.” 

Searching for some clue, Eddie’s eyes dart back and forth between Dorian and Scandalabra. The latter has gone from haughty to haunted. His silvery stare softens with genuine worry. “It’s…not? Um…might one inquire?”

“Only one resident of this domicile is privy to the goings on behind that door. And that’s the lady of the house. Now, get the fuck downstairs or I’ll have your knop off.” 

Scandalabra’s expression remains genuinely concerned as he makes his exit, coattails between his legs. 

“Kopi,” Dorian says. “Did the human happen by your establishment earlier this evening?”

They put a finger to their lips and look at the ceiling as their memory percolates. “Hmmm. I don’t think so. I know she had her favorite chai for breakfast.”

Perplexed, Wallace gently engulfs Kopi’s shoulder with one boulder-like hand. “Wall? Wall wall.”

“No. You can check with Freddy and Mitchell, but I’m pretty sure she only had the tea.”

Dorian nods sadly. “Thank you, Kopi. Would you mind putting a kettle on? Some of us are in for a long night.”

“Sure thing. Come see me when you need to. Also, with everyone in the kitchen, I have a feeling Stefan is going to be busy. Just let me know if you get hungry.” 

Kopi returns to the kitchen, leaving just Eddie, Dorian and Wallace looking at one another across the landing. 

“Wall.” Wallace’s bulk sags and his expression falls as he gazes toward the bedroom. 

“Me too,” Dorian says, exhausted. “I can count on your discretion, yes?”

With a nod he replies, “Wall. Wall wall wall wall wall wall?”

Dorian heaves a relieved sigh. “Again, Wallace, you have my gratitude.”

The gargantuan guardian solemnly lumbers away to keep watch at the bottom of the stairs. 

Dorian cracks his neck and shakes out his shoulders as if relieving himself of a burden.

Eddie takes a few hesitant steps onto the landing. “Well, that was certainly something.”

“Evenin’, Watts.”

Keeping his voice low, Eddie asks, “Sounds like I missed some excitement. Why clear everyone out?”

“Our human could use her space.”

What’s this our shit?

 “Does that space mean that half the lights in the house have to stay on for no reason? Or that Hector needs to blow hotter than the sun? Hell, I even got a call from Winnifred. Seems I’m the belle of the ball tonight. Fun.” 

“I know this means more work for you, however this is not about her carelessly leaving a light or two burning. On this occasion she….” After a pause, he scratches his beard, tired. “Bloody hell,” he breathes. “How to put it delicately?”

“Delicately?” Eddie looks toward the bedroom door. He shouldn’t care, should stay frosty. Instead, he quietly asks, “She alright?”

As if in response, a wail from the next room shatters into keening sobs. 

Dorian closes his eyes slowly, his expression one of pained sympathy. 

Eddie’s stomach twists with a cold, creeping nausea. Static seems to envelop him and his current races with concern he’s not allowed to feel. His tone remains sarcastically neutral. “Shit. I guess not.” 

Shaking his head, Dorian’s voice is barely a whisper. “Nightmares are nothing new for her. I’ve watched her have more than I’d like to count. I’ve seen her cry plenty of times. Tears of sorrow. Joy–though less so of late. Betrayal. Loss. A break-up or two. And some things I care not to name.” 

Eddie’s chest tightens. Dorian doesn’t need to say more. Eddie remembers Cas and the scars he left behind. Wallace still carries a few of his own. Simmering with a comfortable rage, Eddie’s fists clench tighter. 

“But in all the time since she took possession of this domicile,” Dorian continues, “I have never seen my human in such a state.”

“You’re telling me that,” Eddie points toward the bedroom, “is from a bad dream?” 

“It’s not exactly like I can inquire, now is it?”After an annoyed tsk, Dorian says, “I’d rather not discuss things so openly. She deserves her privacy and for her dignity to remain intact.” 

Fuck. Eddie’s dread only grows. What’s worse than the fuckface? 

“Understood,” Eddie says with a tight nod. He hitches a thumb toward the Breaker Box. “Mind if I just hang in the club?” 

“About that.” Dorian ponders his words carefully. “I know your dance card is rather full this evening. You’ve got duties all about the house including the first floor bedroom and bath. I would…Watts, I would appreciate your help keeping an eye out up here. I fear some of our fellow objects will attempt to intrude upon her all in the name of wagging their tongues.”

Eddie blinks. Trying to hide the lump that has suddenly filled his throat, he says, “I know I’m the master of kicking things out, but isn’t it your job to keep them out in the first place?” 

Dorian’s scowl returns. “It is my job and my job it shall stay. Wallace and I can handle the others, but I...I need someone to keep watch on her. At least until dawn.” 

Eddie’s breath catches. Of all things. Why this? Why me? He’s terrified to say yes, but doesn’t want to say no. “I’ll…”

The air between them quakes as the human lets out another tearful howl. 

Dorian sheds a single tear. “This…it just breaks my damn heart.”

Eddie’s weary sigh is drowned out by another yell. Clenching his teeth, he tries to convince Dorian that he–Eddie–is the last person for this job.

“You want me to stay here and what? Babysit the human because she had a bad dream? Teddy might be better for that, don’t you think?”

Dorian’s dark eyes bore into him with barely controlled emotion. “Don’t be thick,” he spits. “You and I both know there’s more to it.” 

“What do you expect me to do? It’s not like I can help her.”

“Then help me,” Dorian pleads.

He can still hear her. Each sob is an assault on Eddie’s resolve. “Why me?”

“Because of all the things in this house, Watts, you are the most reclusive. You aren’t likely to tell tales if you are rarely seen by the others. And, I know how you feel about her.”

For an instant, Eddie’s throat closes with the fear of a rabbit that’s just met a fox.  “How I f–?”

“You’re not overly fond of her,” Dorian answers. “The whole house knows. But you do the work anyway. If I asked this of the others, it’s possible they might be…”

“Distracted? Like you are?”

Dorian simply nods. 

“So, I'm the best choice for this because I’m not social and I hate the human?” Saying those words–that lie–coats Eddie’s tongue with self-disgust. It tastes of burned plastic and ash. But, if everyone believes that’s how he feels about her, he sees no reason to correct them.

A long silence stretches between them. Dorian’s eyes trail to the floor. He lets out a long, shaky breath as the homeowner’s crying continues. When he speaks, Dorian’s voice cracks. “Please, Eddie.”

He lets a few heartbeats pass before letting out a sigh. “Fine.”

Dorian heaves a breath before sagging with relief. “Thank you.” 

“Whatever.” 

The door clicks open as Dorian moves aside. “After you.” 

Eddie’s stomach turns somersaults. Struggling to maintain his icy resolve, he shambles past Dorian and into the human’s bedroom. He actively avoids her room. It’s too close. Too much her. 

And yet, never enough. 

“WHAT THE BLOODY BLUE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING HERE?”

Eddie starts, surprised by Dorian’s sudden roar. For a moment, he is almost afraid of the rage pulsing off his shoulders. 

Defending himself, Eddie calls out, “You asked me to–.” 

“Not you,” Dorian storms. 

That’s when Eddie sees the figure in the bed. Carved alabaster skin, a pair of torn jeans and that unmistakable white sphere atop its shoulders. Doug lounges with his arms behind his fucking douchebag bowling ball head. Somehow, he manages to look smug and aloof. 

“Don’t get all unhinged, jerk.” Doug chuckles. ”Heh. Unhinged. Get it?”

“Why are you here?” Eddie surprises himself with the cold, steel edge to his voice. 

“Unlike all the other losers in this house, I have a date with the human. Should be pretty hot.” 

Dorian seethes. “Doug, get the fuck out. Right now.” 

“Look, she called me, alright? Granted, it was a while ago. But I like to leave chicks on read. They’re so much more grateful when you finally show up.”

“You’re such a fucking dick,” Eddie breathes. 

“Spare me, glowstick. You call me all the time. I just let it go to voicemail.” 

“OUT!” 

Spitting feral swears through his teeth, Dorian stalks to the bedside, grabs Doug and bodies Existential Dread out of the room. 

Eddie shakes his head and takes a good look around. He doesn’t see the human. Every light burns as hot as the dry air blasting from the vent.  

How can she stand this? 

The bed looks like it’s seen battle; sheets twisted, blankets a tangled mess that drapes to the floor. And so. many. pillows. Tissues litter the bedside table along with a half empty bottle of water and a long, thin vape pen with golden contents. As Eddie pads to the windows, the air cools and he can feel the slightest bite of winter seep from behind the curtains. At the same time, though, the cloying warmth of steam curls around Eddie’s scruff. River. She silently pulls his attention to the gentle splash and swirl of moving water.  

Shit. 

The human sits in the clawfoot bath, knees drawn up to her chest and head bowed. A wavy curtain of her wet, dark hair obscures her face. Despite the steam rising from her skin, her hunched shoulders quake with teeth-chattering shivers. She clutches both sides of her head, hands like claws, and drags them through her hair. 

The icy rock of Eddie’s heart plunges into his belly as he sees the expression on her face. Eyes clenched shut, jaw tight. A grimace of despair.  He’s heard Bathsheba gossip about ugly crying. While he’s pretty sure this is what she’s referring to, Eddie sees nothing ugly about it. It’s not that the homeowner is beautiful even like this or some similarly trite cliche. Pain is never pretty, nor is it necessarily ugly. What Eddie witnesses is…real. 

And staggeringly familiar. 

I shouldn’t have agreed to this. If he wants someone who won’t get distracted I might be the worst choice in the house.

“Watts!”

Eddie jumps, startled, and turns to find Dorian staring daggers at him. “Sorry, I didn’t expect–I…she…River…” 

He shuts himself up and puts his back to the bathroom. The pair of them keep their eyes to the ground, awkwardly trying to ignore the sounds of her quivering breaths and the light plink as her tears fall into the water. 

“So…uh….” Eddie fidgets, straining against his memories and empathy. “Can you tell me anything?”

Dorian blows out a long, weary breath. “She woke up screaming and shivering. Tried calming herself, but started crying. Went downstairs, turning on every light along the way. A couple of shots from Bev, a bite of chocolate from Freddy. Then she came back up here. You’re now just as informed as I.” 

“She didn’t say anything?”

“Who would she say it to?”

Eddie scoffs. “I’ve heard her talk to herself.”

Dorian nods with a fond smile. “That she does. But, no. She’s not said anything of note. Mainly trying to calm herself down and a lot of colorful expletives.”

‘Just keep it together, kid. You, too,’ she’d said to him. ‘Let’s just both keep it together.’

“MOTHER FUCKER!” There’s a loud splash. “God–fucking shit! Piece of shit!”

Ah, so these are the colorful expletives. 

“I….think I’m going to go stand over there,” Eddie says, nodding to the opposite wall near the closets. 

Dorian’s face is crimson with embarrassment. “I think I’ll join you.”

Both lean their backs against the wall and cross their arms. Neither seems inclined to conversation. Despite all of his attempts to wrap himself in the icy protection of his mind, Eddie can’t focus. His attention flits to the bathroom door, but even without seeing her, his feelings twitch and tug. He looks at the bed. Different emotions swim from the depths, threatening to drag him into waters best left unexplored. He’d drown in all that he can’t have. 

As his gaze travels haphazardly from the opposite wall, the closed closets, the ceiling lights, a feeling of unease prickles across Eddie’s body. His eyes settle over the grate.

“Hey!” he barks, shoving off the wall. 

Dorian’s head snaps, following Eddie’s angry stare. 

Something surges through Eddie’s current. Something dark, crackling. Protective.

Obscured by the vent’s shadows, a pair of eyes, big and sad as a tasslehound’s, peep into the bedroom. Hands reach through the grate, waving frantically. “It’s not what you think,” a small voice calls.

“Have we forgotten where the attic is, Mr. Condicionado?” Dorian growls, “I suggest you follow my earlier direction and scarper off before I am tempted to use more effective methods of persuasion.” 

Eddie cracks his knuckles. Tone arctic, his stare hard, he rumbles, “Sure would be a shame if one of my breakers accidentally tripped right about now.” 

“Please, Dorian. Eddie. I–you don’t understand. I’m merely…a…concerned party. I-I-I can be discreet. My coils will rust before I utter a word, I sw–.”

Eddie takes another step toward the grate. “Hector. You’re already on my shit list for cranking it so hard tonight. So, before I blow a fuse, could you politely fuck off?” 

“My cranking,” Hector says, offended at the term, “is in service to my belo–the lady of the house.”

Dorian boils, radiating a heat that cannot be adjusted via thermostat. “Mr. Condicionado. Did the human request this particular temperature setting this evening?”

“Well…no.” Hector fidgets, his index fingers tapping one another sheepishly. “Not specifically.”

Eddie snarls. “Why are you doing it, then? Specifically.” 

Clearing his throat Hector announces, “I am–ahem–self-regulating. For her pleasure,” he adds quickly. 

With a flat stare and sharp edge, Eddie says, “She has blankets.”

“Blankets? Mateo can only handle so much. Blankets alone cannot protect her soft, fragile skin against the bone-deep cold of winter. She’ll freeze. And I won’t let–.”

Eddie rolls his eyes and puts a hand to one of the switches on his vest. 

“No. Please! Who will keep her warm? She’s already shivering terribly, goosebumps pebbling her skin. Teeth chattering. I can’t bear it!  Could you? Could anyone?”

“Wait a tick,” Dorian says, eyes narrow and jaw tight. 

Hector ignores him. “And you would expect her to suffer the cruelty of evaporative cooling on such an icy night? Without so much as a stitch of clothing to protect her? Monsters! You’re monsters! Why–if she kne–.”

Dorian cuts him off. “That was quite a description, Hector. But how, I wonder, do you know she’s shivering so badly?” 

Eddie sideyes Dorian. “That’s what you’re asking?” Fixing Hector with unrestrained disgust, he says, “How do you know she’s naked?” 

Hector’s eyes widen. “I–I just…”

“Are you spying on my human while she bathes,” Dorian growls. 

Eddie takes a step toward the vent. A blue hue dusts his cheeks. 

“Well, I…heard…something in the vents.” 

“Don’t care, Hector,” Eddie snarls.

“This is a misunderstanding!”

“OUT!” Eddie and Dorian shout in tandem. 

“I’d never harm her. I…I lo–.” 

With a snap of his fingers and a hissing crack, the scent of ozone fills the air as Eddie zaps Hector’s fingers. “Get. Out. Now.” 

He slams the grate shut then–careful to keep his eyes from wandering–he does the same to the vent in the bathroom. 

She gasps at the sound, but even as her wide eyes dart about the room she remains oblivious to the things nearby. Hesitantly, he looks over his shoulder to see fear where anguish had been. As she clenches her eyes tight, small twitches punctuate her shivers.

Eddie reluctantly returns to the wall with an annoyed growl, he and Dorian can hear Hector sulking as he retreats through the vents. Despite his reticence, the HVAC returns the temperature to the human’s preferred setting.

“Bloody hell, am I off my game tonight. I should’ve accounted for him.” Dorian pulls his hands down his face, already exhausted. “Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t just switch him off.”

Avoiding Dorian’s stare, he mumbles, “Don’t want her to be cold.” 

Dorian pops his chin toward the grate. “He might be one to watch for overnight.”

“You think he’ll be back?”

“Better than fifty-fifty odds, I’d wager. Hector has an…unhealthy attachment to the human. Tends to move about through the vents so he can get a look.”

Eddie suppresses a shiver of his own. “That’s…a bit unnerving.” 

“Whatever you do,” Dorian warns, his eyes haunted, “never mention poetry within earshot of a grate. Frankly, I find his writings to be disturbing, especially since she can neither consent nor reciprocate.”

Nausea creeps up Eddie’s chest. “Consent…so, it’s that kind of writing.”

Dorian rumbles in assent. 

“Does he do this…often?” 

“Probably more than I’m privy to, unfortunately. He’s one of them that prefers to watch. Him and the fucking Scandalabra.”

From the next room comes the sound of falling water. Eddie hears River swirling away with small hiccuping sobs of her own. Moments later the human exits the bathroom wrapped in a towel. 

Face flushing brightly, Dorian turns sharply to face the window, yanking Eddie by the arm to do the same. Hangers rattle behind them, followed quickly by the closet door shutting with a bit too much force. Dorian winces. 

A wet towel lands on the bed. Before Eddie can fully register the implication, the bare human breezes in front of them on her way to the dresser. Eddie puts his face to the wall and Dorian follows suit. Simultaneously, they begin whistling different tunes. They both stop, look at one another and begin whistling again, only this time, they’ve traded melodies. 

The human adds a counterpoint, the rhythm of drawers opening and closing. In his periphery, Eddie can see fabric fluttering. There’s something about the human’s energy. She moves swiftly, with purpose. Of course she’s probably cold, but he can’t help but sense the current of panic in the room. Moments later–pajamaclad–she takes her towel to the bathroom. 

“Interesting,” Dorian whispers. “She just locked the door adjoining the gym and the lavatory."

Eddie’s brow furrows as he turns to face the room in time to see her close off the bathroom. “But, there are no other humans here.” 

She shuts the other closet before checking the lock on the door to the landing. Breath shaking, she surveys the room with little nods here and there as if checking items off a list.

Curtains? Closed.

Closets? Shut.

Doors? Locked. 

The grate seems to give her pause before her attention sweeps to the wall. 

To Eddie. 

With a sharp inhale, he freezes as she looks straight at him. Impossibly, their eyes meet across the invisible chasm between them. Eddie sees the glint of fresh tears welling up in her puffy, haunted eyes.

She….she can’t actually see me. Coincidence, he assures himself. But, he can’t deny something happened. Some spark of understanding passed between them. Almost recognition. On some level, conscious or not, she saw him. He knows it. 

And it terrifies him. 

Eddie’s insides writhe. He’s too hot. Too wobbly. Too everything.

 “Shit,” she hisses. 

Shaking himself free of his thoughts, he sees her draping a sheet over the mirror. In three quick strides, she is back to the bedroom door. Hesitant, she turns off the overhead lights and scurries to the bed like a child frightened of the dark. She sits with her back to the headboard, nervously squishing the fabric of her dark blue pajama pants as she tries to slow her breathing. 

 She takes a deep, long drag from her vape pen. Closing her eyes, she exhales slowly, releasing a bluish haze into the room.  While she fusses with things on the nightstand, Eddie paces a circle around the room, eyes trained on the floor.

 From behind him, Dorian’s voice creaks. “I think the worst is over.” 

When Eddie studies her, he can see the human’s stare reaching into infinity. She doesn’t see anything in this room, does she? She’s not here. 

Stretching his stiff limbs, Dorian yawns, “I’m going to go see Kopi about that kettle. Anything you fancy, Watts?”

He glances at the bed–well, at the human in it. After a moment that stretches just a little too long, he waves off Dorian. “No. But, thanks.”

After taking only a few steps, Dorian turns back to Eddie. Gesturing to the human, he asks, “You’re sure yo–”

“I’ll keep the light on,” Eddie says, voice uncharacteristically compassionate.

“Thank you.” Dorian nods gratefully. “Knock if you need a nip.”

And then they’re alone, Eddie and the human. Despite the planar divide between them, his current races in his chest. 

With trembling hands, she puts her phone on the bedside table. Calm music plays; somber piano arpeggios in a minor key. 

Eddie pops his chin toward her. “Song’s pretty. I think I’ve heard you play that before downstairs.” 

She leaves the bedside lamp on, crawls under her covers and musters her army of pillows to a fluffy, protective fort. As she curls herself into a tight ball, Eddie leans against the dresser, his back to the covered mirror, and pushes a hand through his hair. 

“So,” he says aloud. “Looks like it’s you. And me. Just…sitting here til dawn. I’m supposed to watch you, I guess, and try not to feel like a fucking creep or something. I probably shouldn’t be here, honestly. And yet…” 

Eddie pushes off the dresser then, once again, walks lazy circuits around the bedroom. Though she’s no longer shivering or sobbing, he can still hear her quivering breaths. With a glassy, hollow stare, she seems lost in thoughts that are far, far from here. 

“You have no idea.” Eddie chuckles but there’s no humor in it. “Your windows and bathtub are downstairs speculating about what’s going on up here. As far as you know, you’re all alone. And that’s the only reason you feel safe to cry like that. You wouldn’t just let someone see you screaming and sobbing. But here I am. Seeing it. Like an asshole.”

Again, his insides writhe with shame. It hasn’t even been five minutes and he’s already feeling that tugging ache in his chest. The feelings he only allows himself to feel when he’s alone. Those feelings have names, but if he says them aloud, they become real. If they’re real, they still remain worthless and one-sided. 

Unrequited. It’s all Eddie’s love for her can ever be. 

After glancing around the room–lingering on the grate for an extra second or two–Eddie looks back to the human to see her face slip into that expression of deep anguish.

Shit.

With one of his patented sighs, Eddie sits on the empty side of the bed with his back against the headboard, legs stretched out in front of him. Crossing his arms, he allows himself to gaze down at her. 

Despite her height and lush figure, she’s made herself so small, curled tight in a nest of pillows. Eddie can see fresh tears quietly rolling along the contours of her face and onto her sleeve.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here,” he whispers. 

The song changes to an acoustic guitar playing a slow, lilting dance. A woman’s breathy voice sings. At first, the song is just that. Music and a handful of words. But soon, his current falls in sync with the music. It sways lazily, like a hammock in a cool night breeze. Then, a verse gives him pause. 

A stranger light comes slowly. A stranger’s heart without a home. You put your hands into your head And then its smiles cover your heart.

“Is that what we are? Strangers?” Is that what this ache in his chest is? A heart without a home? 

His thoughts, along with the music, are drowned out by the roar of a muscle car doing a burnout down the street. Just outside the window, the car backfires with a sound like a shotgun. The human screams and snaps into a tighter ball, her arms over her head protectively. Instinctively, Eddie reaches out a comforting hand, stopping just short of her shoulder before realizing it won’t matter. She won’t feel it.

Her whole body quakes. What starts as rapid breathing and quiet crying quickly escalates to a sustained yell made of jagged glass shredding her throat. 

“FUCK!”

She yells until her voice gives. 

“I’m sorry. I’m not really good at this. I don’t know what the fuck Dorian was thinking, really. I don’t know how this is supposed to help.”

Breathless and spent, she goes limp beside him. Without looking, she reaches up to the nightstand, grabs the phone and restarts the song. She lets the phone fall into the bed, then curls into herself once more. As the melody begins, her fingertips move about the pillow as if she’s playing along. It seems to help her steady her breathing and slow her racing heart. 

Something about the song reminds Eddie of candlelight. Something that is both hopeful and melancholy, warm yet dim. 

Music continues, featuring string quartets, more piano pieces and peaceful songs meant to wrench emotions from your soul and let them sing. And though she is lost in thought, she is able to unclench her body slightly. It takes time, but she succumbs to her exhaustion and drifts to sleep. As her playlist continues, there is not a single time Eddie mentally chides her for the waste of Phonecia’s battery power. She needs this. This is medicine.

An hour later, the human is still asleep. But Eddie’s thoughts spin. 

Why am I even worrying over a human? Humans broke me. Humans only cause problems. And this one…she is the problem. The most infuriating problem.

But…

She’s so vulnerable. Delicate. Does he see her as something damaged? To be fixed? Or did Eddie hear that wail and know it? He’s no stranger to those sounds. Those cries welcomed Volt to the world. Much like Eddie had then, tonight and most nights she carries this burden alone. Despair in solitude erodes part of the soul, scours away Hope. 

“If you don’t mind, I’d…kinda like to stick around. I mean, you think you’re alone, sure. But, doesn’t mean you have to be, you know?”

The human uncoils her long form and rolls to her side. Stretching out one arm, her hand passes through Eddie’s. There is no physical sensation, but he sucks in a breath anyway. The bedside lamp flickers with a fzzt!

To anything that walked in, it would look like Eddie was holding her hand. His eyes flash to the closed vent. No eyes are trying to peek through the slivers of space. No fingers trying to push the slats open. Doors closed. Just himself and his human. 

For a few quiet moments, he just…looks at her. Wisps of hair fall across her face and he has to remind himself it’s impossible for him to brush them back no matter how much he longs to. Her expression is calm with the slightest hint of a peaceful smile. A stark contrast to what he saw earlier. 

“I wish I could touch you,” he says, voice barely a whisper.

She sighs in her sleep.

Eddie answers with one of his own. 

Settling into his spot in her bed, Eddie rests against the headboard, and closes his eyes. He listens to her slow and steady breathing and the music. 

“It’s not so bad in here,” he tells her. “I mean, it’s not the Breaker Box, but it’s quiet. The music’s nice. The company’s not bad, although I think your conversation skills could use a bit of work. But hey,” he blows out a breath, “I get to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet away from all the lights someone left on.” He gives her a side eye she’ll never see.  

When the grey-blue light of dawn creeps through the curtains, Eddie knows his watch is over. However, he lingers until the first rays of golden sunlight are visible before taking his leave. He carefully slips out of the bed, watching so he won’t wa–

“You can’t feel me moving on the bed. Right.” He shakes his head. “Must be more tired than I realized.” 

As he stands to full height, Eddie’s joints crackle with a mixture of pain and relief. He rolls his shoulders and pops his neck. Gazing down at his human one last time, his chest tightens. She hadn’t moved too much in the night. A turn here, a stretch there. A few more instances of passing her hand through Eddie. 

Scratching at his scruff, Eddie begins to shuffle to the door, but stops when he realizes that she’s rolling over following his path like a sunflower follows the sun. She reaches out in her sleep and mumbles something that sounds like, “not yet.” She pulls the nearest pillow into her arms and draws it against her chest. 

“I wish I could stay and hold you.”

As he approaches the door, he looks at her one more time. “I hope today is better,” he says. And then, against everything he wants, Eddie leaves her alone in her bed.

“G’morning, sunshine,” Dorian says as Eddie approaches. “I dare say you and me are about to get a well-deserved rest. Did…uh. How was it in there?” 

Eddie shrugs. “Eh. She fell asleep. Snored. Drooled a bit. Honestly, that was it.”

Dorian nods and Eddie can see the relief in his eyes. “Thank you, Watts.”

“Don’t mention it. Especially to Volt.”

Dorian squints, curious. But he chooses the better part of valor and nods. “You have my word. Listen, if that’s how you feel, maybe you should skedaddle back across to the closet. Wallace and I are about to release the rabble back into the first floor.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

As it shuts behind him, Eddie leans on the Breaker Box door. Exhaustion is too mild a word for what he feels. With leaden limbs he staggers to the bar and attempts to paw away his double vision. His drink sits in a ring of condensation, mostly water and a limp orange wheel. Plucking up a cherry, he pops it into his mouth then makes his way backstage. He opens the locked door and stalks down a dark, brick-walled corridor to a large steel door covered in warnings. 

Solitude awaits him on the other side.

Sleep? That’s a separate negotiation.

Chapter 13 - Chapter 15

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He chuckles, dragging his thumb over the glossy woodgrain of the bartop. “You’ve done a decent job the past couple of days. Better than decent, actually. Thanks to you, I’m caught up on most of the big problems around here.” “Most?” She arches an eyebrow. “What didn’t we get?” “There might be a couple power drains that are more stubborn than I’d like. I need to take care of those myself. And there's the day to day stuff. But yeah. You did it.” “You said ‘we’ wrong, sensei.” When she raises her glass, Eddie clinks his against hers. Leaning his elbows against the bar, he sighs.  He takes a drink, hoping to douse some of his jealousy. But as it wriggles into his mind, something else comes with it. Something that loathes Eddie’s light mood. And her. “At least now you can get back to the club and whatever with Volt.” “Huh.” She seems pleasantly surprised. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

Right, sure you haven’t. Because I could make you forget Volt. 

Letting out a long, tired breath, Eddie says, “Volt always puts on a good show. I mean, it’s no Rainbow Kite blanket fort, but you’ll have a good time. I’m sure.” “Hey, don’t knock the pillow fort until you’ve experienced the pillow fort. You should come sometime.” Eddie shakes his head. “At least take a break and hang next time I come in for a show. We can sit at the bar and reminisce over screws.”

He wants to. Holy hell, he wants to, but jealousy and fear swirl like storm clouds in his mind. His throat tightens. “I appreciate the invite, but like I told you, I don’t do well with crowds. Trust me. I do better on my own. I’d only slow you down.” Chewing on her lip, she bobs her head slowly. “Got it.” Is that disappointment? The hell?

Nervously, she stirs her mocktail with one of the cherries. “Can I…maybe…come back and help with the day to day stuff sometimes?” “What? Why would you want to do that? You came here to help Volt and you did.” “Oh, is that why I came here? Thanks for telling me.”

The clouds swell into thunderheads, anvils waiting to drop. With a derisive scoff, Eddie snarks, “Right. You’re telling me Volt isn’t the reason you stop by all the time? Cause it sure as hell isn’t for Johnny Splash.”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe I actually enjoy your company?”

He’s utterly blindsided. Volt is the front man. The irresistible one. I’m the invisible one. I can go days without talking to anyone but Volt. It keeps us safe. And I like it that way, right? 

“Maybe because…” He pauses, pondering the answer to her question. Even before Volt he wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. While Eddie wasn’t a bad host, he couldn’t hold a candle to Volt. Mixing and fixing: those have always been his strongest skills. But thinking on it, Eddie is faced with a sad truth. “Maybe because no one ever has before.”

She brought me coffee and made sure I didn’t slice my hand open. She wants to come back. Not for Volt, but for me?

Eddie doesn’t even try to hide his smile as color rises in his cheeks. “But, hey. If you want to waste your time here, I can’t stop you.” “Wow. A few days ago, you couldn’t get enough of kicking me out. Don’t tell me you’re ditching your favorite hobby.”  He tilts his head back and forth as if pondering the matter. “Maybe I’ll kick you out every now and then. As a treat.”

The storm inside him stirs and swirls as dark clouds gather. He feels the prickly feeling of lightning waiting to strike. 

And now you’re joining her fan club? You can’t let her any closer. She’s dangerous. You know why, the storm warns.

Grinning, oblivious, she says, “Thanks. For allowing me to come back. Hell, for letting me help at all. I mean it. Thank you.” His chest tightens, throat squeezing around the words he wants to say. “Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t mention it. It would be best if you didn’t tell Volt about this. Especially if you want to keep coming around.” “Ooookaaaay,” she says, a crease forming between her brows. “Can I ask why?” “Volt can be…protective of this place and what we do here. It’s a point of pride for him. If he found out the reason the power stabilized is because you were here helping, that would hurt him. A lot.” “Because it would mean admitting there’s something he can’t do?”

This is why she is dangerous.  How much more do you think she’s sussed out? How soon until she knows everything. Ruins everything.

Eddie nods, fighting against the threat of the storm. “It would sting all the more because it’s you. So, for now, it’s probably for the best that we just keep things between us, okay?” A flush of heat spreads across his chest.

Us.

“I cannot figure out the dynamic here. You seem to care about him but you also pour a lot of salt on his name.”

“We’re conn–”

DON'T

“-complicated.” 

From a shadowy corner of his mind, memories haunt Eddie. Memories of the time before Volt. The soul-shattering emptiness. Despair. Exhaustion. Nights spent howling alone, desperate for help that would never come. He stares into the ice in his glass. “Volt was there for me during a really dark time. When I didn’t have anyone else. He gave me space, and I could…breathe. He took care of me. I owe it to him to do the same. Just…look,” he sighs. “If Volt knew what was really going on he’d be pretty pissed at me, too. I don’t want that either. Will you help me or not?” The human quietly studies Eddie. His anxiety only grows until she nods.  “You have my word. Just between us.” He releases a trapped breath. “Thank you.” There’s a beat of silence. Then, “This is all about sparing Volt’s feelings, right?”

You need to stop this. Stop being honest. Stop entertaining her. She’s too close. 

Eddie bristles. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?” “And it has nothing to do with you?” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” “You don't want Volt to think you're useless.” Eddie’s fists clench against the bartop. 

She doesn’t know. If she did, she’d see just how much of a waste I am. How all of this is my fault. 

“I…Fuck it. Fine. Yes, okay,” he snaps. He brings the whiskey sour to his mouth and a familiar weight settles over his shoulders, a cold shell of anger and distrust that’s been all but absent the past two days. And though part of him relishes her company, another writhes and screams as it realizes just how close he’s allowed her–a human–to get. How that complicates everything. For him. For Volt. The club. Everything. 

“You’re not, you know,” she says, her tone comforting and sincere. “You’re not useless.” The kindness in her voice is too real. Threatening. Infuriating. 

Too much. End this. 

In just a couple of days she has burned right through that icy defense he’s built over the past fifteen years. It was easy to maintain so long as he kept his distance, blamed her for all of the sins of those humans that came before. It was her fault, he told himself. After repeating it day and night, he’d believed it. So, as her genuine words touch his heart, the first rumbles of thunder echo within the storm inside him. His misplaced anger taps into that well of loathing based on every lie he’s ever told himself.

No more. She needs to go.

His voice is cold, hard. Barbed. “So, two days around here and you think you know me enough to make that judgement?”  She blinks, taken aback. “What–I…no. That’s not–.” “What did you expect to happen when you came here?” “More deflection. Nice.” She picks up her bag and starts putting away the cream and sugar. Her water bottle. “Did you think I’d pour my heart out? We’d bond and you’d try to fix me or whatever like you do with the rest of the house?” “The fuck? I–.”

 “Maybe that’s why you asked to come here: because we’re all just things to be fixed to you. Except Volt, of course. It’s clear how you feel about him.”

“Oh? Could you enlighten me,” she asks, voice wintry. “Because honestly, I don’t know how I feel about Volt.” 

Eddie shakes his head, warring with himself. He’s fucking it all up. He can’t stop. 

If Volt had just gotten rid of her, none of this would be necessary. 

“You know what,” he says, bitterly, “just forget it.” “No.”  “What?” “I said no,” she repeats. Kindled, the fire in her eyes threatens to melt the ice protecting him. “No ‘just forget it.’ Talk to me.” “Like you actually care?” She reaches out to touch his arm, but he jerks away. “I…I don’t understand. Just a few minutes ago–.” “Come back or don’t, just try not to distract Volt too much, okay? He doesn’t listen to me anymore and he’s just going to keep making things worse because he can’t get enough of you. And for fucksake tell him to stop the bullshit parlor trick. The one where he changes your clothes. You’re the one power drain I can’t fix.”

Silence. Perfect stunned silence. Two slow, pointed blinks that challenge him. Instant regret.

“Seriously?”

Fuck.

Good.

Shame fills Eddie’s veins with cold steel. 

“Is that what you actually think of me,” she asks. “This whole time?” He can’t look at her. Can’t answer. The lie is easier than the truth.    “Wow.” She looks about the room as if searching for what the hell changed. “So you not only think I’m a vapid, starry-eyed groupie for Volt, but I’m also…what? Some fucking…parasite?” Eddie doesn't recognize his own voice; a keen dagger, its edge soaked in poison. “You said it, not me.” Her expression says it all. Confusion. Pain. Betrayal. “Eddie…”

That’s it. His name on her lips. With that catalyst, the storm breaks. 

Eddie’s glass hits the bar with a little too much force. He looms over her, using his darkness and size to intimidate her out the door. “Why do you think we’ve been so slammed lately? Have you figured that out yet? It’s because some selfish, careless, useless human can’t leave the fucking house.”  She’s just standing there, a million emotions flowing over her face as she weathers his squall. 

Shut up. You’re hurting her. You’re fucking up all of it. 

You fucked up by letting her in. 

His anger conceals things that are too difficult to confront. Things Eddie can’t afford to feel.

You let her get too close. Now fix it.

That vicious, misplaced wrath dives into the fray, metaphorical teeth snapping, current pumping with one command. 

Get rid of her.

"It used to be manageable when you had a job,” he growls. “At least then you’d be gone long enough for us to get some rest. When you started working from home, our work started getting harder. And now, you don’t even have the excuse of a job. You’re a fucking hermit. Everything stays on around the clock. All that? It takes power. Power Volt has to manage. Meanwhile you carry on day after day without a goddamn clue what the things in this house do for you. You just take, and take, and take. And ever since you got those fucking glasses, things are in here all the time to talk about you. How caring you are, helpful, beautiful or whatever adjective is the most saccharine and deluded. It never ends.”

Her eyes go glassy with tears that don’t fall. She gives him nothing but a rueful smile and a humorless laugh. It sounds wrong. That laugh is a far cry from the chuckles and cackles from minutes before.  Eddie’s current goes cold, slowing as he watches her expression go flat. Features inscrutable. This is worse than seeing her cry, watching her scream at him. This is…nothing.  A wall of her own falls to shut him out. He can feel it land with a sickening finality.  “Thanks for the honesty. Really.” As she hitches her bag over her shoulder, she clutches both coffee mugs in one hand. She turns her back to him and stalks toward the door, muttering under her breath, “Makes that decision easy for me.”  “Oh?” he calls after her. “What decision is that?” She stops, draws a long breath and Eddie is certain she’s about to exhale a gout of flames. When she turns to face him, however, pyrotechnics aren't necessary; the human’s hard, glacial stare is enough to level him. He’s been so focused on the power around the club, Eddie has underestimated hers. Commanding his attention, daring him to speak, she cooly asks, “Are you always this oblivious?” She turns and walks briskly to the door. As she steps into the closet, Eddie hears Dorian’s voice, “Bloody hell! Are you alright? Did he–?”  The door slams closed behind her, leaving Eddie standing at the bar as a familiar, hollow loneliness descends over him. The silence is too loud. The space too vast.

What the fuck did I just do?

Chapter 11 — Chapter 13, drops Feb 16

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