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The day started like so many days had since you'd moved back to your childhood home. You woke up exhausted after quality sleep eluded you and stared at the ceiling before rolling out of bed and finding your way into some pants. You slid the dateviators onto your face and made your way downstairs, where you gave Kopi immense appreciation for providing your morning caffeine. Once you felt human enough to think about breakfast you struck up a conversation with Freddy, which you'd thought was going fine until…
“LISTEN SHITHEAD.”
And suddenly, you weren't in your cozy kitchen anymore, instead careening into the past. To a different kitchen, a different house, and a different voice yelling at you.
“YOU GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY”
Vaguely you felt yourself back into the bar, hard enough for Beverly to let out an “oof” that you didn't process. Some part of you was worried about her glass cracking, but most of you was stuck in the vision of your ex. The one who haunted your nightmares, the reason you'd moved away from your old town without a word to anyone but Sam and holed yourself up here. The reason you rarely left the house, even before.
“You're pathetic, you'll never make it without me.”
“You thought you were attractive? More like a pity fuck.”
“You deserve to be cheated on, you're lucky I'm still here.”
“You're too stupid for school, you should just give up. What are you going to do with a customer service degree anyway?”
“If you weren't such a waste of space I wouldn't treat you like this.”
If you tell anyone I'll make this look like a vacation”
You slid to the floor as they screamed at you, berated you, dug into all your insecurities. You whimpered at the sound of dishes smashing against the floor as they were thrown at you. Each shatter made you flinch, but for more than the obvious reasons. Something in the back of your mind said Daisuke would be so upset… Daisuke… who?
It didn't matter, what mattered was getting through this moment into the next, living through this. Surviving. You were good at surviving, you'd been doing it your whole life. Just…. Don't act like such a target, they'll get bored and stop soon, they always did. Eventually. And you'd pick yourself up, clean up the mess, and apologize for making them angry. It was your fault after all, you brought it all on yourself with your behaviour.
Trapped in reliving every awful moment, you screamed when a hand clamped down on your arm, bringing your hands up over your head and curling up to make yourself as small as you possibly could. Surprising you, instead of yanking you to your feet like you expected, the hand let go. Beyond the sound of the screaming there was…. Something else. A murmuring that didn't quite break through the sound of your own blood pumping in your ears, a familiar tenor voice… a kind one. The dichotomy of what you were hearing made you pause, made you think. That voice didn't belong here, not with the screaming and cursing. That voice belonged in a different place, a more comfortable place, one full of friends. Which meant that one of those voices was wrong. Which….?
“Deep breaths,” the voice told you, becoming clearer, but it was so hard to listen to over the screaming.
Screaming…
Screaming that was slowly becoming less real than the voice. More of an echo. You put a hand on the floor expecting cracked linoleum and pieces of shattered dishes, but your fingers met only smooth tile, cool under your touch. Not that kitchen. You weren't in that kitchen. You let out a shuddering breath followed by a sob and leaned your head on your knees, trying to breathe with the count of that steady, kind voice, which you finally recognized as…
“Abel?” Your voice sounded hoarse to your own ears, ragged, how long had you been sitting here? Your butt was sore and cold, your legs numb and tingling, and trying to wiggle your toes sent jolts up your calves.
“Yup. Jus’ me. You back with us?”
You shook your head to clear the echoes of screaming and worked on getting your eyes open, which had been clenched shut. You blinked a few times, taking in the sight of Abel crouched on one knee next to you. You reached out to touch him and the contact almost made you cry in relief, he was real. He was real which meant the other voice wasn't. You weren't… there anymore.
“Bev went to get yer boys, shouldn't be too long.” A thump from above your heads made him smile reassuringly. “Probably them now.”
You nodded numbly and looked up, but your eyes landed on the fridge and ice filled your veins, the fear clawing back up and threatening to pull you back down. The memories threatened to surge back up as your breath caught in your throat and you couldn't pull your eyes away, but a moment before you could fall into that familiar terrifying place again your view was blocked by two figures. They knelt in front of you, cutting you off from what had triggered that fear, and you felt the weight of a familiar jacket being laid over your shoulders. Its warmth and comfort fought back the chill, insulating you against the terror. You clutched it tightly, wrapping it around yourself and holding on like it was your life preserver in a dark ocean.
“Hey, live wire.” Volt’s normally suave voice was carefully calm and controlled. Still filled with the usual affection, but strained slightly. And if he was here, then…
“Eddie?”
“I'm here, spark.” He reached his hand out, hovering it just over one of yours, letting you make the first move. “What do you need?”
You reached out to twine your fingers with his, and he gave you one of those half smiles that made your heart melt every time, knowing it was just for you. Knowing that despite his own issues and his own walls, he cared about you.
“You're real, right?” You asked quietly, vulnerable as you reached out for Volt as well, who took your hand and kissed it gently.
“As real as anything.” Volt replied with a smile much more tense than his usual easy grin, but his eyes held an edge of… something. Something like what they held months ago when you tried to pry information out of him, to ask if Eddie was alright, shortly after you met them. Before they knew you, before they were yours. Something that promised… retribution. But you weren't scared of Volt, not after everything the three of you had gone through together.
“You're here, we're here, you're safe.” He continued, managing to keep his voice calm and collected, it was easy enough for him to understand what you needed in that moment, he knew your secrets, your pain.
You nodded, holding tight to both of their hands as you closed your eyes, breathing slowly. In through the nose, hold, out through the mouth, just like you'd been taught. Once. Twice. Again.
Again.
Again.
Finally, you opened your eyes and looked at Eddie, whose face softened as he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you in to lean on his chest, kissing the top of your head.
“Will you be alright with Eddie if I leave you for a moment?” Volt asked, pressing a kiss to your hand. You knew he'd stay if you needed him to, knew he would sweep you off your feet and carry you all the way to the breaker box and wrap you in himself until he was all you could think of. And knowing that, knowing if you needed him to, he would drop anything to be there for you, you nodded and turned your face into your other partner. Your cheek pressed against the warmth of him, melting into his reassuring presence. You closed your eyes and held on until everything else melted away. They would never hurt you, and they would do everything in their power to prevent you from being hurt.
Volt kissed your hand one more time and pulled away, leaving you in Eddie’s care to go speak with Abel, who had backed away to give the boys room.
You stayed like that for several long moments, your face tucked into Eddie's neck while he ran his hand through your hair and down your arm, gentle touches from hands calloused from his work that slowly had you melting further into him. You couldn't sit on this floor forever, eventually you would need to get your feet under you. Experimentally you tried to move one leg only to wince in pain and take a sharp breath.
“What's wrong?” Eddie's gruff voice was filled with gentle concern.
“Leg fell asleep,” you responded, wiggling the toes on your opposite foot and getting only a tingling sensation rather than the pain from earlier. “It should be fine in a minute or two. Help me up? It might get over it faster if I'm on my feet.”
Getting up was an awkward tangled combination of you pushing up and him lifting you, but eventually you stood on one foot, leaning heavily on him as you lifted the other a few times, trying to wiggle the tingles out. Standing up brought you more awareness of your surroundings, the laundry room door was closed. Behind it you could hear Volt's voice, too quiet to make out his words but his tone was terse with a hard edge. Protective. He was being protective.
Eddie's hands rested on your hips, ready to support you if you needed it but not smothering you. A quiet steadiness at your side, he wasn't always great with words, but he showed his love for you in every action. He was someone you knew you could lean on, who you felt comfortable leaning on. You'd spent weeks working by his side proving to him that he could lean on you, and he'd spent months after that proving to you the same.
“Can we go upstairs?” you asked quietly, looking into his eyes. They were full of understanding, not pity, and all you wanted at that moment was to be surrounded by your lovers. You were sure Volt would join you once he was done with… whatever he was planning. And you didn't really want to be in the kitchen anymore.
“Sure thing, spark.” He kissed your forehead and, with a steadying arm around your waist, let you walk on your own. You were grateful for that; even though both of you knew he would have no trouble scooping you up and carrying you, the ability to keep that shred of independence and strength mattered.
He supported you all the way up the stairs, tucking Volt’s jacket around you so it didn't fall off. The closer you got to the breaker box, the more exhausted you felt as the adrenaline melted away. When you finally stumbled a few too many times he lifted you up and carried you the rest of the way to the room he and Volt shared.
__
Eddie sat with your head in his lap, running his fingers through your hair gently as you slept. Your eyes were still puffy when he gently wiped the tear tracks off of your face. He was glad you felt safe enough with him to break, that you trusted him so completely, but he was simultaneously incredibly frustrated that you'd been put into a position where you needed to. You should never have been that terrified in your own home.
You'd been there for him when he had to break, had supported him, reassured him, and he was grateful to be there when it was your turn, no matter how much it aggravated him that you'd been hurt. You had been a staple in their lives since you first walked into the breaker box, shy and sweet and so caring that you kept coming back even when he'd rebuffed you. You'd worried over him even when he was weak and cried over him when he'd had to reset, and you’d cried in relief when Volt was still there. He remembered how you had trembled when you confessed your feelings and the way you collapsed into their arms when they'd told you they both felt the same. How perfect you felt pulled tight between their bodies. He caressed your forehead with a thumb and sighed.
You'd told them once that you never had nightmares when they were around. You'd laughed, smiled, and told him that nothing could get to you when you were surrounded by their love. Many times since the reset incident you'd stumbled into the breaker box after midnight in only a t-shirt covered in a cold sweat, terror in your eyes. Sometimes you sat numbly while they rubbed your back and got you something to drink, sometimes you burst into tears as soon as you melted into their arms and clung so desperately his heart ached. After the third or fourth time you showed up fragile and shaking, Volt had been ready to give Nightmare a stern talking to, but you explained it wasn't her doing. No, these were memories. Memories of your last relationship, the ex who you wouldn't give a name to. You'd told them bits and pieces slowly, one story at a time, but it had been enough for them to piece together the rest.
Sometimes you slept the rest of the night with them, sometimes you dozed for a few hours and then left for your own bed once you felt less raw, less vulnerable or less broken. Eddie wouldn't soon forget the look in Volt’s eyes when you wondered aloud if you were just too broken. He'd reassured you that you were far from broken and that no matter how many pieces you felt you were in, the two of them would help you put them back together again. The memory of working out Volt’s anger after you left with vigorous sex made him smile briefly, but it fell from his face quickly when he remembered how Beverly had come in not too long ago holding an ice pack to her head and told them you were freaking out in the kitchen.
He loved you. Immensely. And so did Volt. He was pretty sure the two of them were the only ones in the house who knew the real reason you'd moved back here, you didn't like to talk about it, but after too many late night visits spent drying your tears and stories about… them, your partners knew. Knew how they had controlled your life, trapped you, made you feel like you couldn't leave them, guilted and manipulated you. Screamed at you when they drank, threw things, belittled you, cheated on you. He had to stop his thoughts from going too far down that road, if he thought about it too much he'd end up feeding Volt’s anger with his own, so he shoved it down and focused on your sleeping face. On how proud he was that you had gotten the courage to leave and how grateful he was that you'd come here of all the places you could have gone. On how it felt like you completed their circuit, slotting so beautifully into place with himself and Volt like a perfectly constructed upgrade.
He'd quit drinking around you after you told them, even though you never asked him to. As much as he loved a good whisky sour, he loved you more, and he saw how your face tightened and your smile turned forced every time Beverly started talking about drinking. He saw how you shied away from other objects when they'd been drinking and got rowdy. But you never said anything to anyone, just moved away so everyone else could have their fun. You were so…. Generous. Considerate. You did so much for so many of the residents, but you were their live wire, their spark. He would do so much for you. They both would.
He felt Volt's protective rage tight in his chest and even though he heard Volt come into the bar, it was a long time before he made his way to their room. Eddie felt the echo of Volt’s rage slowly dissipating to a more manageable level before he appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame and taking in the sight of both his lovers.
Volt smiled at the scene, striding across the room to capture Eddie's lips in a searing kiss that left them both panting. He pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes, using the contact to reign in what was left of his anger. They couldn't do what Volt really needed just now, but that was enough to hold him for a while. He pulled away and leaned down to kiss the side of your head gently before taking a seat next to Eddie on the bed, close enough to murmur to him without disturbing you.
“Freddy screamed at them. Blew up after they offered to help him clean. Called them a shithead.” His voice was carefully controlled, that deadly calm he got when someone threatened what was his.
“Shit. What the fuck.” Volt’s words caused Eddie to stiffen, his fingers stilling in your hair. No wonder you'd been so panicked.
Volt nodded, humming in agreement. “I would happily have fried his circuit boards, but Celia disagreed.”
“You know our live wire wouldn't like that, Volt.” Eddie didn't miss the bitter edge in his voice and he reached over to pinch the back of Volt's neck.
Volt smiled as the blue tinge that was building in his skin faded back into its normal tone. “Don't make promises you can't keep, my love.”
“Oh, I'll keep it. You just have to be patient.”
__
When you finally stirred, there was warmth on either side of you and the fingers that trailed down your arm brought with them small sparks of electricity that made certain you knew whose bed you were in. Another hand rested on your hip, the index finger making small, slow circles into your skin and kisses were trailed gently across the back of your neck and shoulder. You made an appreciative noise and buried your face in the neck in front of you, wisps of white hair falling into your face and tingling softly as Volt’s chuckle reached your ears, making you smile. The deep sense of safety and comfort was almost enough to make you doubt the reality of what had transpired earlier. Almost.
“Can I just stay in this bed for the rest of my life?” You grumbled, your voice muffled from pressing your face into Volt’s skin
“My greatest wish, live wire,” he chuckled, nuzzling you and causing his hair to fall on your face with gentle sparks. You giggled from the sensation. That sound did more to quell his rage than anything else had, even Eddie's chiding promise had only toned it down. It still simmered; he may never forgive Freddy, but he probably wouldn't fry the refrigerator's circuit boards. Probably.
He pulled back enough to be able to look into your face, trying to read your expression.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He offered with more gentleness in his voice than he felt.
“Want to?” You chewed on your bottom lip, considering his question. “No. But… I think I should. Otherwise I might never step into my kitchen again.” You attempted to joke with a half smile but the hesitance and vulnerability in your eyes told him it was a little too close to the truth, and the look on his face sealed the fact that you weren't going to get away with brushing off the impact of what had transpired.
“It was so real, I could hear them, I swear I could feel the dishes shatter next to me, it felt like I was back there all over again.” Volt didn't like the vacant look in your eyes one bit and he met Eddie's concerned gaze over your shoulder.
“They can't touch you anymore. They can't get to you here, they don't even know where you are.” Eddie murmured soothingly into your ear. “And you've got us now. We won't let anything happen to you, spark.”
You nodded. “Fear isn't always rational though. I still panic a little every time someone comes to the door, because what if he figured it out? What if he's looking for me? What if he breaks in?” All the what ifs spun around in your mind, swirling in a torrent of fear that you'd thought you had been getting over. You'd left everyone and everything behind to keep that pain where it belonged, in the past, and here it was threatening to swallow you all over again. You didn't want to live that life anymore, didn't want to tiptoe on eggshells in your own home ever again.
“Then Phoenicia will call emergency services, and Dorian will put as many locked doors in between you and him as possible.”
“Darling, you should consider having an alarm system put in.” Volt could see your hesitance and put a finger to your lips to delay your protesting response. “Just think about it, live wire, you can have Mac do research for you and get Dorian’s opinion. It won't stop issues from inside the house-” maybe the comment was uncharitable but he wasn't feeling very generous after seeing you crumpled on the floor, and especially not after hearing what had happened to put you there- “but it might give you some peace of mind.”
Inside the house… oh. The entire reason all this came up at all. The memory of what had set off your little episode surfaced and you groaned and covered your face with your hands, rubbing it in dismay.
“Oh no, Freddy. How am I going to look him in the face again, I need to apologize…”
With your face covered you didn't see the lights flicker, but Eddie did. His hand left your hip briefly to grip Volt’s shoulder tightly as he mouthed ‘later.’ Volt nodded stiffly; keeping his cool was difficult when what he really wanted to do was go down the stairs and wrap his hands around Freddy's outlet.
So his voice had more bite than he meant it to when he told you, “no. No, you don't need to apologize, he needs to apologize. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, live wire. You did nothing wrong, it's not your fault, he should never have spoken to you like that.” Volt might deserve an award for getting all of that out without sparking. Later. He would work all that out later. The important thing right now was taking care of you.
“If you don't want to see him for a few days, we can work with Mitchell to get you fed,” Eddie smoothed his hand over your hair before he settled it back on your hip. “We’ve got you, whatever you need.”
“Thank you.” You felt the sting of gathering tears again, and your throat tightened. “How’d I deserve you guys?”
“You were your stunningly wonderful self.” Volt pressed a kiss to each of your eyelids. “And you were stubborn and kind enough to get our Eddie to care about you, which is no simple feat.” He smiled charmingly.
Eddie replied with a noise of protest which made you laugh wetly.
“I love you. Both of you.”
“We love you too, spark.”