Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The pain had been unbearable. Overwhelming. Frankly, Eddie had never really thought about dying, before - many objects were prone to bouts of of illness and injury; some courted the notion of death - Mitchell and Barry both struggled with expiration dates and going bad, with Mitchell often ending up with food poisoning and Barry losing more awareness the more his palettes faded. Daisuke’s chips could worsen and Lyric was prone to tears and creasing. Certainly, if every item under their domain broke - then, theoretically, they would cease to be.

So long as there was some of the old food or make-up, new purchases could restore Mitchell and Barry to their normal selves. If a new toaster was bought and exchanged for the old before the previous one was thrown away, Miranda would remain intact.

If not… well. It hadn’t really happened all that often, many of them had been passed down every time the house changed hands, but it wasn’t the end of the world. The laundry units before Washford and Drysdale were still, indeed, Washford and Drysdale - they looked a bit different, but their mannerisms were still much the same. Clones, or siblings, as Rebel called it - Dorian was every door, but the consciousness of their Dorian was limited to the house. A new set would still be him, but it was unlikely that he would have the full knowledge of the Dorians before him.

Skylar didn’t really appreciate them thinking on mortality, though. Her suspension of disbelief was strained enough without that on top of everything else. So Eddie wouldn’t think about it either - couldn’t.

Splitting the power was the only thing he could think of. Maybe it would break him, and he’d be out of commission until Farya could get to him or the homeowner fixed things.

At least that would be some sort of rest. Something besides the pain.

He was so damn tired.

The house noticed the power blip immediately. Every appliance that ran on the Breaker Box’s current felt the surge of exhaustion for mere moments before everything returned to normal, and let that be - it wasn’t uncommon for Eddie to struggle, for the lights to flicker. Lux had long since stopped complaining when it disrupted their routine, the fear of staying out increasing minutely with every one that happened.

Then, relief. The thrumming static of his perpetual migraine was… beyond dimmed, if not gone entirely. Surprisingly, Eddie found himself with light shining against his closed eyelids.

The splitting hadn’t failed the whole grid, then? An entirely different sense of relief, now that pain did not fully cloud his head. Slowly, slowly, Eddie opened his eyes, ready to brush himself off and get back to business-

The lights in the bar were off, still. The light searing into his retinas instead appeared to belong to the figure curled on the floor, skin electric blue and hair a brilliant and shocking white. Their eyes matched their mane as they, too, slowly opened.

“Holy shit.”

Eddie pushed himself up and onto his knees quickly, pressure no longer curling his shoulders down or supplying an ache in his back. This was - he hadn’t meant to-

He turned the stranger over onto their back, watching as the blue slowly drifted into a much healthier-looking peach. Sharp eyes tracked his every movement, but they didn’t protest at being manhandled. It wasn’t until they smiled that Eddie felt his heart skip, realizing how inappropriate their positioning was. He didn’t even know who or what they-

“Volt.”

A warm, smooth voice hit him as their smile softly widened. A hand that sparked with static and current pressed his wrist with a tentative couple of fingers before they marveled at their own movement, never once taking their gaze off of Eddie.

“I’m here for you. To… help you? To help you, of course!”

Eddie started slightly as Volt moved to sit up, still unsteady, finding himself having to make sure that the newcomer didn’t fall right back over. A deep laugh sent electricity straight through his heart - even as Volt blinked, smile never leaving as they carefully picked up one of Eddie’s hands as though it was priceless.

Eddie found himself speechless and entirely overwhelmed when a feather-light kiss was pressed to his knuckles, a visible arc of discharged current leaping from lips to fingers in a way that appeared to delight Volt after. Instead, he swallowed dryly, pinned in place as Volt’s gaze swept over him with all the adoration and reverence of a devoted worshiper.

“I’m Volt,” they insisted, the faintest of blue blushes arching along their cheeks before that, too, faded to rose. “You, my live wire, are Eddie, and I am here to protect you, as the electricity that runs through your cables. Just as you desired.”

No more pain, and now, a handsome stranger that looked to him like… like this? All from - from splitting a faulty wire open in desperation? He was going to have to put in some paperwork with Celia, at this rate…

Well. Maybe now he had time for that, with Volt at his side.

Chapter Text

The first few days had been… interesting, to say the least. Volt had been quick to go from clumsy in his new form to graceful beyond measure in a way Eddie couldn’t fathom, himself. He treated and touched everything as though it was precious and new, but there were definitely times that the delicate nature was cast aside for something… raw. Powerful.

The first time he had shown the entirety of the Breaker Box to Volt, the man had lit up in delight - which initially set Eddie’s heart uncomfortably aflutter, but then a set of lightbulbs burst all at once. While he was surprised to find that it didn’t hurt, it had startled Volt - fluster showing in the flush creeping along his cheekbones and the flinch at the noise.

(It was just flinching at the noise, wasn’t it? Or had Volt hurt himself by bursting the bulbs? Eddie couldn’t feel it anymore, but was that because the pain was gone, or because someone else had it?)

Then Dorian had shown his face, suspicious by the club’s closure. Upon seeing Volt hovering over Eddie, electrifyingly close, he had quickly put up his guard, gruff.

“What’s all this, then? An unauthorized inanimate? Let me handle this.”

Dorian had stepped forward, and Eddie barely had the time to notice the way Volt’s eyes flashed in warning. He could feel the way power thrummed along the tips of Volt’s fingers, skin threatening to cool to blue in tone, teeth bared with - were those fangs?

He had gotten between them, seamless and nonchalant, to explain the situation. The second Eddie didn’t dismiss Dorian, Volt stood down.

Celia needed to be informed not long after of the newest tenant, but Dorian had helped smooth that over with her. Word spread quickly after - and by the time the Breaker Box was ready for opening again, patronage was nearly overwhelming.

Yet Volt slotted into the picture like a charm, dazzling each guest. Electrical appliances in particular seemed to flock to him - Lux had stopped talking for a whole minute just to stare, to everyone’s surprise. He handled the front with ease, encouraging performers and welcoming folks - and he seemed to enjoy it. Eddie could finally stand back and bartend without needing to handle the people part of things.

It didn’t stop anyone from setting up shop at the bar, insistent on pestering him.

River and Airyn weren’t usuals, though. Then again, judging by the way River’s eyes stared Volt down as Airyn gave a breezy sigh, Eddie could guess why they had come.

“Backroom?” he offered, not bothering to change his tone to care.

“It would be best,” Airyn agreed, following after him. River did, as well, even as she began to slow to a glacial pace - when dealing with the Breaker Box, ice was often the safest form to be in.

Especially now.

“You… have a new roommate,” River rubbed her arms awkwardly as they solidified, not meeting his eyes. At her hesitance, Airyn nodded, not afraid to hold Eddie’s gaze at all.

“I see you have summoned Volt. You do not know the force with which you play.”

“I think I know a good damn bit about electricity,” Eddie scowled, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. “More than you, even.”

“Would you like to test that?” Though light, Airyn’s tone thrummed with a sense of far-off danger. “You know as well as I the trouble you could get into should River and I mix - mix enough for Volt to form.”

A faint thread of pain shot through Eddie’s skull at the memories that came to mind. Thunderstorms.

“Fine. I’m listening. What am I not seeing?”

River looked to Airyn, who gave a quiet huff, circling Eddie as she floated. “There are, largely, three kinds of inanimates. I am certain you are aware of this.”

“Natural, conceptual, manufactured,” Eddie drawled, holding up three fingers one by one. He wasn’t particularly a religious type, but he knew the first of the three were often referred to as gods and goddesses - whether or not the inanimate in question called themself that.

“Manufactured things tend to manifest within each one made, but, I mean, you’d know that, being one,” River stumbled through her explanation, not certain whether or not what she was saying could be contrived as rude. Eddie didn’t care either way, really. So what if there were millions of himself across the globe? It wasn’t as though he’d be interacting with them.

“Concepts are certainly intriguing, but not as powerful as us,” Airyn quickly dismissed the most confusing of the three categories with a wave of her hand. “They exist, but not in physical reality. Nightmares, rejection, dread… their strength is often limited to the human that perceives them.”

“Can’t all be high and mighty like you.” Eddie’s biting tone made River flinch, but Airyn seemed entirely unperturbed.

“I think goddess is a lofty sort of title-”

“It is only right.”

Flustered further by Airyn shutting her down, River went quiet, allowing the personification of the air itself continue as was her wont.

“Rongomaiwhenua, River, Skips, and I are eternal. While dear River is not one to flaunt such, Rongomaiwhenua is nevertheless correct in her views.” Rongomaiwhenua was the earth itself, from mountains to geodes to soil. Rarely did she ever appear in the house - never caring to let whatever crumbs of dirt that made their way inside manifest her, for she had ‘far grander, fathomless realities to consider’.

Skips, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the realization that he was any more than anyone else - for ever had there been darkness, even before there was light. If he had any idea the power he could hold, none really knew - and none bothered to mention it in his presence, either, when it was shown.

“Where Rongomaiwhenua and I are constant and unyielding, River provides a fluidity to her nature. Without us three, there would be no life. Without us three, there would be nothing.”

Dorian could open and close doors, lock and unlock them if he really wanted to. He could split his consciousness between the doors within the house.

River could flood the whole house if she desired. More than that, she was water - and if she wanted to manifest her consciousness anywhere else in the world, she could do so.

“There are… there are some natural inanimates that aren’t sturdy, like us,” River added to Airyn, picking at her frozen nails. “Earth, air, and water aren’t just going to… disappear. I mean, I cycle, yeah, but I’m still there. But, like… think of Phoenix. Have you ever seen them? Humans consider fire one of the ‘four base elements’, but fire is different from us three. Fire is alive, fleeting, and raw - and if Dante wasn’t so good at containing it, the only time we’d really call Phoenix into play is if the house itself burned down!”

“Phoenix is powerful, with their flames, but that power begets fragility. Fires live off of the materials they consume, and fires die when there is nothing left to burn. Why would Phoenix show themself for something so small and contained as a furnace lighting, knowing that they will die just as swiftly when they are snuffed out?”

Eddie was beginning to see what the two were getting at, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “You’re saying Volt is like this Phoenix guy, then.”

The gusts of Airyn’s dress flounced as she sat herself in the air, coaxing bits of ice from River’s hair to help form a cloud beneath her. Her face was dead serious, staring Eddie down with the force of one who had been there since the ozone itself had formed, ancient and timeless compared to her housemates.

“Fire is fleeting, but it can rage for weeks with enough tinder. Electricity? Dear Eddie, how recently were you conceptualized? Fire has been tamed for far, far longer than the current that pulses through your veins - through the veins of most all organic animals. Electric impulses are how the humans themselves function, and yet the amount it takes is so small compared to some of the power you hold. Stable electric currents are so novel, but so very contained - I would not be surprised if Volt has never manifested a form until now.”

“We know of him because it is through our clouds that his strongest bolts are sent.” River mimed an arcing bolt from the cloud Airyn sat upon. “It lasts less than a second, usually. Phoenix can hold form longer than that - so whatever you’ve done, you managed to summon Volt from your own cables, and-”

“I would not get attached. This will end in one of two ways, Eddie: he will falter and die the first time this house loses power, or he will be unable to control himself and fry everything in his path, shorting himself out and every electrical appliance he has access to - burn hot enough that even you will melt.”

And to think, the solution for his pain that he had finally found was a ticking time bomb. Fucking fantastic. He could never catch a damn break-

“Eddie! What have we here?”

With a slight crack Volt appeared in the backroom, the smile on his face not quite matching the energy in his eyes - there was something darker, there, almost, something dangerous that tested the situation as they took scope of the other two.

Something between recognizing Airyn and River and seeing that Eddie looked no worse for wear seemed to quiet that wild spark as Volt’s posture relaxed, hands casually finding his pockets. Still, a fang-like canine flashed as his smile casually eased.

“Airyn and River! How delightful. It feels as though it’s been quite some time! How wonderful indeed it is to be able to embrace in this new way!”

The kiss he placed upon Airyn’s offered hand sent electric coils through her being, finally shooting out as a miniature thunderbolt from her cloud. To River he offered a gentlemanly bow instead, not moving to touch her in the slightest despite being in her icier form.

Eddie was pretty sure that River had clocked the barest semblance of threat in Volt’s tone with how she looked away, but if Airyn did, she did not seem to care. Instead she tilted her head toward him, appraising him in return. “Your form suits you, Volt. What is it that has brought you to manifest?”

“Eddie desired it.” This time the grin was brighter, more sincere as Volt’s whole face lit up, looking toward the man. “I am here to offer myself however he may have need of me - a task I am eager to undertake, with so many tantalizing individuals around!”

To protect him. The echo of Volt’s introduction ran through Eddie’s mind, realizing all at once that this, too, was apparently falling under that jurisdiction - just as he had done with Dorian. Sure enough, the lights in the backroom were brighter than they had been in months - and it certainly wasn’t Lux doing that. Lux hadn’t been the one to burst them before, either, they had scoffed at the very notion - and he’d be stupid not to have noticed how it had lined up with Volt’s excitement.

Just as Airyn and River had alluded to: electricity was volatile and unstable at its very core, and only recently had it begun to be domesticated, compared to things like fire. Eddie had captured lightning in a bottle, and he was the fuse box, he was the wires and cables that kept the current insulated. The only thing able to keep Volt at bay, but also the only thing able to keep him safe and whole.

Fuck.

“I’m fine, Volt.”

The words were like a spell. All at once every ruffled feather was smoothed out, Volt fully becoming languid and slipping into the sultry warmth he displayed in meeting his new neighbors. “Ah, my apologies for interrupting, then! I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly up front; I insist you take your time.”

Just like that, he was gone, and the electric warmth in the room with him, leaving Eddie colder and tired.

“It’s fine. He’s fine. Just another set of hands helping around the Breaker Box. Don’t worry yourself on my account.”

Airyn let out another airy sigh as Eddie, too, turned on his heel, stalking back out to the front of the bar. She hovered closer to River, shaking her head.

“It appears we are already far too late.”

There was no disagreement to be had from River, even as she let her form liquify again, now further in proximity from any currents that could catch her by surprise. She pitied Eddie, really, though she felt icky for even thinking it. There was no debating it, though.

“He’s already down bad.”

Chapter Text

Whatever concerns Airyn and River had were unimportant, Eddie had decided. Volt was amazing.

The roar of pain was consistently a quieter hum. Volt was good with managing people and front of house duties, which meant that Eddie didn’t have to bother. They had worked on the emotional control - who could blame a guy for feeling everything so loudly when it was always the first time? - and burst lightbulbs were few and far in between, these days.

Volt was electrifying to his very core, and Eddie knew he was down bad without Tony’s interference and ‘workshops’. Besides, he only had one bed, so what other option was there to share it? It didn’t have to mean anything, and Volt flirted with everyone, anyways.

Volt didn’t look at anyone else with the same utter devotion in his eyes, though, and Eddie refused to think on that lest the thought consume him whole.

No frying appliances, no undue shocks, no overloaded power. Everything was going better than Eddie could have hoped for.

And then the power flickered.

Summer evenings brought plenty of patrons. Ordinarily this was no problem - a boon, even - but Volt had been acting strangely, as though his mind was miles away.

He brought people the wrong drinks. Forgot names. Missed cuing the next performer entirely. Tripped over his own feet.

Enough was enough.

Eddie put a hand on Volt’s shoulder, startling when it was met with a flinch. Volt turned to him, eyes stricken at his reaction before his gaze drifted off, far beyond the Breaker Box.

“Volt, what’s going on?”

“I…” Never had Eddie seen him at such a loss for words. Volt raised his own hand, staring down at it as though he could see through it. “I feel… something.”

“Something good?” Eddie tried to land the question as a small quip, knowing that it wouldn’t get the answer he wanted.

“Maybe?” Volt’s eyes were hopeful, but his tone belied his uncertainty. “I can feel… everything in this house that uses the power - uses me. Us. A fair bit distracting.”

Eddie cocked an eyebrow at that, dread pooling in his stomach. He knew that feeling. The feeling of every wire and cord and plug haunting the back of his mind, the interconnected grid of the house reminding him of its existence. He hadn’t felt that since Volt manifested without forcing the feeling to his forefront, but there had been times before Volt when it had flared up like a warning.

“Shit.”

“No, no, my apologies, Eddie, surely this can wait until - u-until… ngh…”

Tiny sparks flew from Volt’s fingertips as his head fell into his hands, his bright hair burning brighter and giving off a hum of static, almost floating.

“Hey, Volt-” Eddie cursed, watching as pale skin turned to a cooler blue, half dragging and half pushing him over and into a barstool while possibilities shot through his mind. Usually he was in tune with the house’s currents, but now-

“Might want to close shop.”

Eddie looked up from where Volt was now biting his lip, curling down into himself, to see Dorian coming closer. Some of the patrons had already begun to leave as the show lulled, but others continued to mingle despite the serious look on Dorian’s face.

“Human’s watching the weather on Telly. Got an alert from Phoenicia about a thunderstorm warning, too. Tornado watches in the area later tonight, as well - got to get this place secure. Prob’ly won’t be getting anything that intense, Celia and Wyndolyn’ll be fine, but that storm’ll still be… it’ll be something. Best to keep power at a minimum in case of - er. Is he alright?”

Volt leaned heavily against the bar, static charge rolling down his cheekbone to his neck in a mockery of sweat. Whatever attempt there had been at masking before was completely erased, pain clear as Wyndolyn’s panes upon his face.

“I can - can feel so much-”

Eddie tried to put a gentle hand to his back and swore in shock as he was, indeed, shocked - something that had never happened to him before. Not enough to give a quick sear of heat and pain like this, anyhow.

Then came a soft noise as all of the lights in the bar flickered out for a second, two, three - by the fourth they were back, and Dorian had already turned to start ushering stragglers out with little more than a “I trust you’ll mind the grid.”

Volt seemed more dazed than ever once the lights were back on, and Eddie was not oblivious to the slight list to the side he had given while they were out, culminating in Volt falling to the floor a second before Eddie reached to grab him.

Shit, shit, shit.

The scent of ozone was thick in the air as Volt clutched the barstool to stay upright, eyes glowing as brightly as his hair.

Eddie met him where he was, kneeling down and pressing a hand against his neck, his cheek, his temple - each touch was met with aggressive static and a tingling feeling that he knew would likely do damage to the electronics of the household or scorch others that didn’t rely on their power.

Volt seemed aware of it as well.

“No, no, I’ll… I’ll hurt you, let…”

Two more brief, endless seconds of darkness, and something inside Eddie clenched and twisted at the dizziness writ across Volt’s sharp features, hazy and distant as though he would faint.

Splitting had spread the pain between them, enough that it was bearable. Sure, he had been somewhat frustrated when he realized that he was no longer quite as sensitive to the house’s current as he was before, but that was a small price to pay for relief.

Except it appeared Volt was overly sensitive to it all without Eddie’s insulation to protect him. Lightning was raw and wild, no matter how fleeting - and if Eddie wasn’t doing everything he could to keep things in shape, then Volt’s exposed currents would get the brunt of the load.

All he had wanted was for the pain and crushing isolation to stop, and now Volt was paying the price. How many times had Eddie sat on the floor against his bed, choking on his tears as the agony in his body threatened to over take him, knowing that no one was coming to help?

Eddie cupped the back of Volt’s head gently, ignoring the frantic energy lancing off of his vibrant white locks so that he could rest Volt’s forehead against his shoulder, his other arm reaching out to pull him closer into his embrace. The strangled gasp he got in return blistered him more than any of their touching had, but the sensation of Volt’s arm unsteadily wrapping around his back tightly felt grounding, even as nails dug into his shirt and skin.

“Eddie, what… what’s wrong with me…?”

“You’re going to be fine.”

He had to be. He could practically feel the panic and agony coiled tightly in Volt’s frame, the ever-present hum of the Breaker Box’s power grid growing from white noise in the background to at least as loud as Johnny’s usual caterwauling.

Then, with a crash and following roar of thunder, everything went dark.

Everything except for the illuminated form in Eddie’s grasp, even as it began to dim right before his eyes. Tense, locked muscles went slack, and Eddie could do little more than help lay Volt down as he began to slide from his grip.

“It’s okay,” Eddie urged, his own voice sounding distant to himself. “Power outage, now. Numbs the pain of the storm. The appliances will bitch about getting tired, and it sucks, sure, but it’s never out for too long. Everyone with a battery will outlast it until it’s back and they can charge up all over again.”

Ordinarily, Eddie would flop into bed and sleep until the power came back. He usually had no energy to do anything else, anyways. He could already feel a certain weight to his body now, as whatever current remained died off-

Died. The current had died. The power was dead, and he had separated it from himself - separated Volt from the constancy of his wires-

“Not… much help at all, am I, Eddie? Sorry to… go out like this…”

Blue had returned to a proper flesh tone, yet Volt’s skin was ashen. The vibrancy of his hair and eyes had faded, and when Eddie gripped his hand in his own, he barely registered the squeeze back.

“No, no, we’re not doing this,” Eddie barked, tears stinging his eyes even worse when a smile graced Volt’s face. “The power will come back on any second, just give it a-”

“Ay-yo, the power’s out, out! How dead’s the grid lookin’, I’ll go take a look and see if I can-”

Tony went still as he realized the sight in front of him, ignoring the wet anger in Eddie’s eyes as he nearly sprinted over, fumbling as he knelt beside them both.

Volt had gone completely lax in Eddie’s hold, eyes shut.

“Fuck.” An ache burned a hole through Eddie’s chest as he realized just what River and Airyn had meant. “Fuck, fuck!”

The earth and air and water were always there, no matter their form. Fire could be kept alive so long as it had fuel to burn.

Without a source, electricity was gone in mere moments.

“Whoa, hey, you gotta calm down,” Tony chided, surprisingly serious in the moment. “Your pretty spark’s not got a pulse, but he’s breathin’. Sure, it’s slow and low as hell, but it’s there, man.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean,” Eddie growled, lunging to swipe at the reflective protractor Tony had put by Volt’s mouth. “Pulses are important, generally-!”

“We’re not people people.” Tony retracted his offending limb before it could get whacked, trying his best for a placating sort of tone. “Besides, Farya says that even when real people’s hearts stop, they can start back up again.”

Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose, warring between whether to give in and cry or throw hands. “Yes, I guess, but they need a giant-ass amount of vol-”

Eddie’s mouth clicked shut so quickly he could feel himself bite his lip by mistake.

“Bada-bingo. Just… give it until the power’s back. Maybe the surge of it’ll do the same for him? Now, I’mma go check on the grid for ya, so don’t feel like you’ve gotta do that yourself, bud.”

In the end, Eddie wasn’t sure how long he sat there, Volt’s lifeless frame before him. Tony came and went, muttering about the things he’d do if he had the ability to fix them, lousy homeowners and their lousy ambitions for home improvement. Time was different for inanimates than it was in the real world, and Eddie was incapable of paying enough attention to see how long the two-hour outage lasted for them. All he knew was that it felt like eternity.

And then the lights came on, slowly, from dim to their usual brightness, Volt’s hair beginning to do the same - and Tony was there, Farya at his side, already pulling out an AED.

Before she had the chance to use it, Eddie watched as Volt’s back arched, face twisting in a grimace as he sucked in an inhale, trembling. His eyes were filled with hazy confusion when they opened, but damn if they weren’t the most beautiful thing Eddie had ever seen.

He nearly fumbled to grab onto Volt’s shaking hand again, watching as his chest rose and fell. With the press of his pinky against Volt’s wrist he could feel the thready, strengthening pulse as it valiantly threw off the throes of death.

“Eddie…?” Volt’s free hand rubbed lightly at his temple, his entire body feeling like a massive ache. “...what…?”

“You scared the shit out of me,” Eddie growled, fighting to hold himself together. Volt’s gaze drifted away at that, almost as though searching for something.

“...yet I… I do not see Jean Loo-?”

“You-!”

Whatever thought in Eddie’s brain did not make it to his tongue before the rest of his body acted, rough hands worn with work cupping Volt’s cheeks as he swooped down, shutting himself up with a deep kiss. It only took half a moment before it was reciprocated in kind, an unsteady hand reaching up to card into Eddie’s hair.

Farya and Tony kept their distance, slowly drifting closer and closer to the exit as they did.

If Eddie or Volt heard the wolf-whistle as Farya pushed Tony outside, neither of them showed it.

Chapter Text

“Eddie…”

No response came as the man in question continued to pace back and forth beside the bar, eyes dark with storm clouds.

“Eddie, it’s going to be alright.”

At that, Eddie grabbed a glass tightly - Volt feared, for the smallest of moments, that his other half would throw it at a wall or something else foolish, but instead he let it go again and continued pacing.

“Please, live wire. Can’t we simply sit together?”

With a muttered curse, Eddie rounded the bar, sitting himself down in the barstool next to Volt. His fists were clenched tightly, and no matter how Volt leaned, Eddie refused to look him in the eye.

“The only reason you’re so calm is because it doesn’t matter to you whether you live or die. Either you’ll be fine or you won’t wake up to find out you aren’t.”

“That’s not fair,” Volt tsked, fingers tapping lightly atop the bar, dancing quietly toward where Eddie’s hands rested. “I would much desire living over the other option.”

“This will end in one of two ways, Eddie.”

Airyn’s previous words only made the aches seizing his body hurt more.

Even Volt would prefer to go out in a wink than to harm the rest of the house, but he never had - not purposefully, at least. But fuck, Eddie wished it would have been the other. Wished that Volt had lasted long enough to burn through every bit of his insulation.

Volt leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together with a soft hum tugging on his lips. “You told the human what needed to be done. They’ve been working with you, they’ve worked a bit with Tony, as well, love - doing it without Skylar’s interference is for the best. You know that, too - if they were here, you’d simply be beside yourself with micromanaging it all. That’s a distraction neither you nor they need.”

“I can’t be alone again, Volt.” Something broke in Eddie’s voice as he grit out the words he hated to admit. “I can’t. I don’t care if you’re lightning in a bottle, or some poetic shit like that. You’re mine.”

“Always,” Volt squeezed his hand, closing the distance even further as he pressed a long, slow kiss to his lips. Eddie could feel the static on and in his mouth, the way it shot down his spine and came to a familiar stop circling around his wrist. Sometimes Volt liked to tease him by pressing a hint of current through his body - and while every experience with him was electrifying, Eddie couldn’t help but agree that that trick in particular did a lot to fluster him. It was intimate, feeling the sensation of Volt passing through him, even if it was for only a moment.

This time, it lingered. Even so, the sensation was not enough to redirect his thoughts as they watched the doors to the Breaker Box swing open, no one entering as they did.

Panic sank like a burdensome rock in Eddie’s gut, regret and anxiety forcing him away from Volt’s kiss.

“Shit, that’s them opening the - did they already find and fix the wire?”

“Eddie,” Volt soothed, standing up to follow his beloved as Eddie made his way to the ajar doors. “Time passes differently in our world and theirs. A moment here could be an age out there, and vice versa.”

“If I can just make Tony or Dorian fuss enough to catch their attention-”

Volt caught Eddie’s hands in his before he gently cupped Eddie’s cheek, forcing the shorter to look him in the eyes. His voice was terrible in its softness, the calm before the storm.

“I’ve done my job. You’ve done yours. Let the homeowner do theirs and fix it.”

But why couldn’t Volt get it into his stupid, pretty head that being fixed was worthless if it meant living without him-?

Every light blinked out.

Eddie felt the reset happen more than he saw it. Felt it in the way Volt’s warm hands suddenly went cold, his weight going dead as he fell to the floor before Eddie could move fast enough to steady him. Felt it in the way something snapped inside of him, like a puzzle’s final piece, the overwhelming sense of pain and torment disappearing into thin air. Felt it in the buzz that was pronounced just under his skin, so right, and so, so wrong.

Even in the darkness, Eddie could see Volt’s crumpled form. It was akin to a marionette with strings that had been cut, a ragdoll being tossed across the room. His hair was fading to dimness, form pale and ghost-like in a way that uncomfortably matched Zoey in the attic.

Deep breath. Two. Three. It was fine. He was - they were used to this, by now. Sure, that was hell of a lot more dramatic than usual when it came to an outage, and far quicker - but this was a full reset, not a blown fuse. Something done on purpose instead of an accident.

Eddie slowly went down onto his knees, taking stock of the situation. No pulse. An unfortunate norm, but at least Volt had proved time and time again that objects didn’t need one to live, even if they were a generally good sign. Instead Eddie carefully put his hand near Volt’s mouth and nose, not wanting to have to rummage for a reflective spoon or mirror to see continued exhales-

Eddie frowned, brows drawing together as not a single sensation crossed his fingers. No, the only thing he could feel was the stubbornly insistent hum of static left over from their kiss.

The power just needs to come back, and it’ll be fine. The thought was the only thing that kept total destruction from tearing Eddie apart. The power would come back better than ever and jump-start Volt again, just like it always did. Even if he wasn’t breathing this time.

After what seemed like eternity, the lights within the bar slowly lit back up. There was still no sign of the homeowner, and more than ever, Eddie was glad for it - glad for the privacy, little that it was, as the dam holding back his tears broke.

The power was back.

Volt wasn’t.

Eddie screamed as he bent in half over Volt’s prone body, an ache burning through his core in a way more horrible than any of the pain he had ever experienced. However long he spent like that, he did not know - only that when he finally managed to catch his breath again, everything was sore from staying still, his vision was burning, and Volt was. Still. Dead.

The puddle on the floor just out of his reach was an afterthought, up until it addressed him.

“Eddie…”

“Fuck - how did you get in here?”

River knelt on the floor of the Breaker Box, visage anguished at the scene before her, even as she watched Eddie wrestle with whether or not to tell her to leave. “I can be anywhere water is,” she gestured faintly toward his face, though her eyes remained fixed on the floorboards between them, “tears are primarily comprised of it.”

“Fuck,” Eddie cursed, one hand pulling back to frustratedly try to brush the remnants of tears away with the heel of its palm while the other remained fisted in Volt’s shirt. “Fuck, River, and you’re here to what? Gloat? I guess you fucking ‘goddesses’ were right. Is Airyn on her way to throw a pity party, or is she grabbing Rongomaiwhenua for it, too?”

“Eddie, no, I - never!” River flustered at the accusation, steam rising as heat hit her cheeks. “No, it’s just - just me. I, I sensed, well, you - your crying, and - listen, the whole house will probably be up in arms to come see what’s happened if the human doesn’t stop them. I - I’m kind of surprised, you… you’re holding pretty well together, if I’m being honest.”

Eddie’s scowl at her nearly turned into a full snarl as he swung his hand out in front of him. “What about any of this makes you think I’m not about to blow every fuse in this house sky-fucking-high?”

“The lights, for starters,” came the sheepish response, River pointing directly at the warmly-glowing bulbs. “Usually you’d have burst a dozen of them, by now. Or your eyes would go full white, like pure lightning, your - your wire hair, too.”

“Right. You’re never around this place enough to notice.” Defeat clawed into Eddie’s limbs, slumping him in exhaustion even though the faulty wire was no longer an issue. He had never blamed River for steering clear of the Breaker Box except for the rarest occasions, ever since Volt had appeared. Water and electricity was a dangerous combination, and putting them together while in a packed room of appliances? They had the potential to be deadly. “That… stopped, after the split. For me.” Volt had become the constant scapegoat for surges and shattered bulbs, especially when he had been new and far less controlled. He took it all in stride, apologetic and adaptable if others were impacted by it, even if there had been times he’d turn to Eddie with embarrassment and guilt over something that wasn’t wholly his fault.

Eddie had hated the way Volt’s face would twist when he was truly upset. Now he wouldn’t even get to see that again.

“Why isn’t it back, now, then?” River asked, hesitance adding a wary tone to her voice. “Your eyes are lit up again like they used to be, anyhow. Your current should be intact again.”

Eddie froze.

He had seen everything clearly as soon as the darkness of the reset had hit them. These days he was usually just as blinded by that as any other object was, but no. Even now he could see the soft brightness that hit his hand as he pulled it up to his face, a soft tingling sensation forcing its way to his attention once again as he watched the tiny spark zip back around his wrist, down his elbow, across his shoulder blades-

He only had control over the barest hint of the current that had been passed to him before. That Volt had passed to him, before.

“I’m sorry for… intruding on everything, Eddie. I’ll - I’ll go, but… do you want me to send up Farya? Mateo? The human, maybe?”

“River,” Eddie’s voice was distant to his own ears, and he refused to drag his gaze away from the body that remained before him. “Tell Dorian not to let anyone in. Not for - for at least a day, I’ll get him myself if I change my mind - not even the homeowner. Not even them. Please?”

The manifestation of water seemed startled at the soft intonation of Eddie’s beg, but she nodded nonetheless. “Of - Of course, Eddie. Just, y’know, let him know if you need anything - anything, okay?”

Eddie didn’t pay any attention to River as she dissolved. He needed privacy, first and foremost - because either he was going to need the time to lock himself up in his apartment and away from the world before any prying eyes came at him with well-wishes and condolences, or.

Or.

He gave out a long, deep breath, tossing away the many sessions Farya had given everyone about first aid with a faint flicker of irritation that it would ever be needed by things, even if a human was nosing into their business, now. Ben-hwa had eagerly offered themself up as a training dummy for CPR, even when Luke was the first over-eager student to attempt it after the lesson had been wrapped up. Instead, he focused on that faint buzz of familiar energy that continued to snake its way around his body, comforting and distracting and still there.

He let the charge gather and build as he painstakingly cupped a hand under Volt’s head, dipping down to firmly - angrily, desperately - press their lips together in a bruising kiss, exhaling both air and spark into the embrace as if his life depended on it - and it did, because without Volt, without Volt-

What was the fucking point of it all, without Volt?

When Eddie pulled back, panting from effort, the gentle tickle of racing current was gone from his skin. The lights in the room fluctuated, dipping from their normal brightness into something dimmer, but still there.

Still enough for him to see the light leave his eyes again, enough for him to see Volt’s bright locks shine again, enough to see the way his nose scrunched, a wince of pain, the sudden, rapid breaths of a dying man that had forgotten how to breathe properly in the moments he was untethered.

Eddie would have crumpled atop him if not for the way Volt’s trembling was, for once, stronger than his own. Instead he chose to keep kissing him with fervor; pressing ones to his temples, his cheeks, his ears, and back onto his lips. Anything to ground them both.

Eventually, he found himself laid down on the floor next to him, pulling Volt’s head to his chest and wrapping his arms around the taller as tightly as he could.

Eddie almost missed Volt’s quiet mumble entirely: “D-Did… did the, the b-back-up g-gen, generator… work?”

“If that’s what you’re calling that little stunt, then yes. It did. It worked.”

“Reset w-went… well? E-Everything’s… alright?”

Eddie rubbed against the shaking of Volt’s back and arms more aggressively than he needed to, but he wasn’t hearing any complaints.

It didn’t feel like things were alright, not in the moment. Eddie felt emotionally spent and exhausted as the reset finally caught up with him. He had thought it would be for the better if they had waited out the reset in their room, especially if Volt fainted during it - but he’d forgotten to bring it up, and now the floor was the best comfort they’d be getting for a while, judging by the weakness in Volt’s limbs and the way he seemed as though he might tremble apart.

But eventually, he’d get up. He’d drag Volt up with him, too, and they’d be able to fall into that bed of theirs and sleep for a solid twelve hours, if they wanted. And eventually Dorian would let worried folks in after his twenty-four hour order was up, friends concerned for being turned away and their human companion fidgeting, nervously admitting that they hadn’t been able to come back, at first, afraid that they’d screwed the whole thing up. And it would suck, yeah, watching Volt regain his strength as he went from a murmur to the shock of lightning all over again, but Mitchell would visit with food and Mateo would bring heated blankets and even Rongomaiwhenua would deign visit with a smile and statement of how she never doubted your fortitude, little thunderbolt.

But the stabbing pain and inevitable death of the wire was done and gone. Volt had neither gone out nor had burnt so hotly that Eddie’s cables had fried, instead remaining at his side like the very electrical impulses that pumped his heart to the rhythm they shared.

“Yeah. Yeah, Volt. Everything’s gonna be fine, now.”