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You really are too sweet for your own good.
That’s the dominating thought Eddie is having as he watches you from across the bar.
You look exhausted, had looked that way since you walked inside the Breaker Box tonight. Another day of working through the issues of everyone around the house.
He thinks he remembers Volt telling him something you’d said about Dirk and Harper, how you’d spent days trying to navigate that particular minefield along with several other delicate situations around the house. Freddy had yelled at you recently, you told him about it, how you’d still seen the action for what it actually was, a defense mechanism. Kind of like his own gruff exterior before.
You’d dealt with several stressful and draining moments just this week, likely having returned to the Breaker Box tonight to unwind and recharge with your lovers. But, you’d been accosted by another object before either of them could reach you.
It was grinding Eddie’s gears.
He took in your slumped shoulders, sagging eyes and tight smile. You were tired, but you were still trying to help someone else. Not dissimilarly from his own overworking proclivities, the ones you had put effort into to stop.
“You’ve wiped the rim of that glass about ten times now, darling. Is something wrong?”
Volt had sidled up beside him, concerned eyes scanning him for each and every sign he could find.
Eddie decides, for once, to make it easy. He places the first glass down in favor of another one - just to do something with his hands - and nods in your direction. Volt’s eyes immediately follow Eddie’s direction.
From where they are, they can only see part of your face and are certain - with your attention focused on the increasingly upset object in front of you - you can’t see them.
Volt can see the telltale signs of exhaustion and defeat rising in you from his spot beside Eddie behind the bar. Your kindness is clearly being taken advantage of.
Now that just won’t do, will it Live Wire? Volt’s mind viciously supplies with an internal voice full of gnashing teeth.
Wordlessly, Eddie and Volt continue to glare at the object in front of you, their frowns deepening by the moment.
They’d heard you say a funny little phrase once or twice before. Something about “scary dog privilege” in relation to friends or partners when walking in potentially dangerous public spaces.
They find, in this moment - especially as Volt’s hair begins to agitate in frenzied sparks, the wire’s in Eddie’s hair occasionally letting off little lights of their own, and as Volt’s color begins to change - that they quite like the idea of being your scary dogs.
The object in front of you catches eyes with the two of them, immediately paling and wishing they hadn’t. Any trace of irritation with you vanishes as they quickly and fearfully retreat from the conversation and subsequently the bar.
Confused, you blink after them only for your hand to be grabbed and your body to be spun around.
Volt, not blue or crackling, smiles down at you. “Darling!” he exclaims, “I didn’t see you come in, endlessly happy you’re here!”
You, oblivious to he and Eddie’s involvement in the end of your previous conversation, take his words at face value and not clocking the lie in the middle of his sentence.
Volt spins you around once, just the way he knows you love when the two of you are dancing, and he revels in your relieved laughter. He kisses your hand, then your lips and walks you over to Eddie before he unfortunately has to leave.
Knowing you’ll see him later and happy to see your other lover, you happily plop onto a barstool, spending the night talking with and watching a much happier Eddie with your chin resting on your hand.
The boys both know that one day you’ll catch them in their little guard dog act. You’re very perceptive. But, for now, they remain content ensuring your joy and comfort in their presence. They love you more than anything, and woe be to anyone who causes harm to their darling live wire.
