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Volt is an expert at getting what he wants. At least, he is when he really puts the effort in. He has made it a point to know his partners and know them well. Because he loves them, of course, and wants to know and cherish every little thing about their dazzling selves.
He just… occasionally… uses that knowledge for his own purposes when he sees fit.
It’s not manipulation per se, he would never stoop to thinking of his partners, the loves of his inanimate life, that way. He likes to think of it as flipping the right switches. Taking the power he already knows is there and diverting it lovingly to the desired output.
His darling Eddison, though much better now after the power reset, still has a tendency to overwork himself. Occasionally, if he says the right thing, he can get Eddie to relax and take a rest. But Eddie has had ample practice in resisting Volt’s various strategies for such scenarios… You, their lovely Live Wire, however, are relatively new.
And every inch as stubborn as Eddie.
So Volt, upon failing to coax Eddie, will find his way over to you.
“Oh dear,” he’ll say with a pout he knows you’ll pay extra attention to, his eyes locked on Eddie, drawing your attention to his other half. “He hasn’t stopped since breakfast this morning.”
He’ll let the comment sink in for a moment before changing the subject and looking at you. “Come to think of it, Live Wire, when was the last time you ate?”
The two of you end up making sandwiches together, you asking half way through if you should make one for Eddie.
“How thoughtful, Spark! Splendid idea!”
You both bring the lunch over and you will not take no for an answer when offering the food.
“Would be a shame to waste the work put into these, don’t you think, darling?” Volt asks Eddie coily, “and there are only three of them, it wouldn’t be fair if one of us got two instead of one.”
“We did make it for you, Ed,” you’ll finally say after a bout of light arguing, soft and sweet in a way that has Eddie grumbling.
“Fine.”
And if you yourself insist on spending the rest of the day showing the two them a movie you’d mentioned before, who is Eddie to refuse you. Volt certainly isn’t complaining. It isn’t like he specifically engineered these events himself. Perish the thought.
Such is just one example of the many ways Volt tasks you into unwittingly forcing Eddie to relax. He could ask you outright, but you do see Eddie’s view on maintenance to a degree and let him get away with it a little bit. You are prone to overworking yourself for the sake of the objects around your home as well. Besides, Volt happens to like the subterfuge a little. It’s a bit like a game. He plays it on you just as often as he does Eddie.
You, his darling, beloved Light, his wonderful, awe inspiring Spark, have this dreadful little habit of thinking little of yourself. Of wanting nothing more than to be useful. Of thinking that you have to continuously earn the love and friendship of the objects around your home who would each do anything for you. That you aren’t the easiest thing in the world to love.
He’s tried everything he could on his own to reassure you that he and Eddie both adore you with everything they have. Sometimes he is successful in quelling those anxious, people pleasing habits of yours and has some choice words saved for individuals in your human life that have made you feel this way once he and Eddie are realized (in due time, of course, no rush at all. The way things are now is lovely.)
However, sometimes Volt’s attempts to shower you in praise and adoration hit just the wrong nerve and feel just a touch too much like empty flattery. Not your fault or his own. He imagines Doug and whatever other traitorous spirits exist in your brain have something to do with it.
In moments like these, Volt decides to point his favorite backup strategy in your direction.
Eddie, for all his outward prickliness, has a soft spot for you that even Volt doesn’t fit into. Volt is not jealous of this in the slightest. He finds it incredibly endearing.
If anyone can get Eddison Watts to melt, it’s you.
One of the various ways the exchange usually goes, after Volt has spoken to you and failed to produce a smile on your face, he will kiss your hand again and cross the room from your table to the bar and sidle up by Eddie.
Eddie will naturally be making your drink already, a habit he doesn’t have to even look up to complete. So when he sets the glass down and Volt doesn’t immediately take it over to you, he pauses.
Eddie will look up and see Volt frowning, eyes cast over in your direction. He will follow Volt’s electric eye line and see your tense, slumped, sad posture and know instantly how your conversation with Volt has gone. Something in his heart always snags at the sight.
At this point Volt will be looking at Eddie, not that Eddie ever notices in this particular scenario, and watches Eddie’s eyebrows pinch together in the most adorable display of quiet concern and love.
Volt will smile softly, apologetically, and say, “darling, I’m afraid I have to get the show started. You wouldn’t mind taking our Live Wire’s drink over, would you?”
Absently, still frowning at you, Eddie hums his assent and Volt kisses him on the temple and escapes backstage.
What Volt doesn’t see in these moments, but knows for a fact does happen, is this. Eddie will see quickly to the needs of everyone currently at the bar counter, eyes never leaving you for long, before taking your drink over to you.
“Hey there, Spark,” he’ll say, drawing your attention to him and the drink in his hand.
Given the dim lights and the fact the show is about to start, the Breaker Box’s collective attention should be on the stage and Volt’s impending entrance, meaning Eddie should have very little fear of the reaction to him being away from the bar.
Eddie can fix the whole of his attention on you, which is exactly what Volt wants.
Eddie will hand the drink to you, nodding to accept your thank you, and slide in to sit next to you. Never once looking away, he’ll ask you what’s wrong, a level of softness in him reserved only for you. You’ll sip the drink, hold in your hands between the two of you like it’s a shield.
Perceptive Eddie will understand, at least in part, what your silence means. He’ll open his arms for you, and wrap you up in him. He’ll rest his head on yours, rubbing soothing lines along your arms with his thumbs. It feels like you’re the only two in the club like this.
After several seconds of quiet and a soft and reverent kiss to your forehead, Eddie will whisper, “we love you, Spark. You know that, right?”
Your tension will ease as you finally all but melt in Eddie’s strong arms. You don’t have to say a word. He knows you know and that he helped.
Volt knows too, sneaking a glance at the two of you as he walks onstage, a misty eyed smile present knowing Eddie accomplished what he is sometimes unable to do, before the showman stance and face must be utilized.
On the inside though, the quiet joy remains. Volt is a bit manipulative, yes, but only ever to protect and ensure his loves are cared for when the stubborn dears won’t listen to him the first time.
Volt lives ever so slightly in minimal fear however, for the day the two of you discover his tactics, if only for the anticipation of how you both will use his own strategies against him. For he knows he is not above reproach himself. But those are matters for a different time and he has two lovers to care for and be cared for by as well as patrons to entertain. He’ll cross that bridge when and if it ever comes and will enjoy playing his little game in the meantime.