Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Day One: Anniversary

• Chapter 2
• Eddie x Volt,
• Rated T

Day Two: Pet Sitting

• Chapter 3
• Eddie x Volt
• Rated G

Day Three: In Vino Veritas

• Chapter 4
• Eddie x Volt x reader (gender neutral),
• Rated M (I'm being careful okay)

Day Four: Set in Another Time

• Chapter 5
• Volt x reader (she/her, no anatomy)
• Rated T

Day Five: Early Morning Walks

• Posted separately here.
• Eddie x Volt
• Rated T

Day Six: First Date (alternate prompt)

Day Seven: "Can I Kiss You?" (alternate prompt)

Chapter Text

Waking up next to Volt felt like a miracle every morning. Eddie adored opening his eyes to a cloud of white hair on his pillow and to the sound of deep, even breathing. Even after years in the Breaker Box and months of humanity, he felt like he’d never truly get used to the man sleeping beside him.

He carefully turned over, propping himself on his elbow to better see Volt’s face. He did this sometimes, gazing quietly at the man in adoration before he woke. He looked so peaceful, so serene. His thousand-watt smile was gorgeous, of course, but there was a different sort of beauty to this tranquil state.

October 1st…such a bittersweet date. That was the day Eddie broke, the day the pain grew so large he couldn’t contain it anymore. But that had been the day Volt had come into his life, born from the agony. He still couldn’t fathom how something, someone, so beautiful had been the result of him at all, let alone a result of the state he’d been in. He didn’t like thinking back to that time, but sometimes his mind wandered out of his control.

He’d been so exhausted. So fucking exhausted. Everything had hurt, the power was out of control, he couldn’t hold himself together. He hadn’t held himself together. He’d found himself on the floor of the Breaker Box back room, clutching his chest and writhing in agony and struggling to breathe. His only thought: I can’t do this anymore.

Eddie tried to refocus on the present. Regardless of the past, Volt was here now. He’d sparked into existence at some point after Eddie had blacked out from the pain. And from then on, he hadn’t had to go it alone; the power was no longer his sole responsibility. He was certain he’d only survived the frayed wire because he’d been able to focus on Volt.

He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He was safe. Volt was here and he wasn’t going anywhere, even less now that they were human. Despite his insecurities, Eddie knew to the very core of his soul that Volt loved him. It was impossible not to believe it, with how often and how beautifully Volt told him; he was fond of murmuring in Eddie’s ear just how much he meant to him.

“You mean the world to me,” he’d say, “You have my heart and soul.” The sweetest words whispered in his ears on lazy mornings or right before falling asleep or while making love.

He looked again at Volt and gently brushed the waves of white hair off his face. What a beautiful man. Volt stirred and Eddie froze, not wanting to wake him. A moment later, Volt mumbled and rolled over. His breathing slowed again, settling into a rhythmic pattern. Eddie exhaled gratefully.

Scenes from the past year flickered before his eyes as Eddie continued to look at Volt.

The moment they’d turned human - all the emotions, all the new sensations, all of it shared with the love of his life. Just the feeling of Volt’s gentle hand against his cheek had nearly brought him to tears. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky.

Their trip to Berlin, holding hands as they strolled the city streets.

Sunday mornings, with sun streaming through the window, as Eddie nuzzled into Volt’s chest, trying to escape the light.

The way Volt made him coffee every morning.

Falling asleep on his shoulder on the couch as they watched a movie. 

The past year had been bliss and Eddie was grateful for every moment.

He laid down again with his chest flush against Volt’s back. He nuzzled into the side of Volt’s neck, breathing in the smell of his hair. He closed his eyes, willing himself to go back to sleep. If he went back to sleep, he could awake again and re-experience the miracle of waking up next to the man he loved.

Chapter Text

“It's just for a few days, I promise,” Mateo said, “I need to get Stitch resettled and, well, Sprite hasn't been helping.”

“We'll care for her as long as you need,” Volt assured him, “Take all the time you need.”

Mateo was comforted by the reassurance – and by the fact that the cat in question was happily perched on Volt’s shoulder. 

“Thank you so much,” Mateo said, “If you need anything at all, I'm right downstairs, don't be afraid to ask anything.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Volt promised, “but I think we'll be fine. Just focus on helping Stitch.”

Mateo nodded, still looking a little anxious. Volt and Eddie had never had a pet in the Breaker Box before and Sprite wasn't always an easy inanimal. But she'd clearly taken to Volt and she was, after all, made of extension cords. Who better to care for her than the embodiment of wires and of electricity? 

“Be good, Sprite,” he said, giving a little wave as he walked out the door. 

The moment he was out of sight, she turned and started biting at Volt’s hair. 

“Nuh uh, no you don't,” he said, pulling his hair back away from her, “Didn't you just hear? You're supposed to be good.”

She batted at his hair.

“Are you sure about this?” Eddie asked. He'd been silent through the entire interaction, leaving the talking to Volt. Not only was he better at social interactions, he was much more comfortable with the idea of caring for Sprite - whereas Eddie still had reservations.

“Yes,” Volt said confidently, “and you heard Mateo, we can always ask him for help.”

Still, Eddie eyed Sprite skeptically. She stared back at him, unblinking. 

“Let's get you settled, sweetie,” Volt cooed at the cat, “Eddie, darling, can you help me carry this?” He nodded towards the small mountain of supplies that Mateo had left them. 

“Of course,” Eddie said, holding back a sigh. He didn't mind carrying things - the tub containing food and litter was about the same size and weight as a crate of whiskey. He just hoped Volt would follow through on his promise to be the one who took care of Sprite’s needs. He didn't want to get roped into feeding and untangling the inanimal. 

Volt gingerly bent forward to pick up the two totes that Mateo had left them, trying to avoid dislodging Sprite from his shoulder. But it turned out that he had no need for such a worry; she dug her claws into his jacket, determined to stay exactly where she was.

The two men walked up the flight of stairs to their flat. Once they'd arrived, Sprite hopped off Volt’s shoulder onto the kitchen island, investigating her new domain. Eddie made a mental note to clean the island thoroughly before eating there again.

Volt was true to his word. He set about filling her food and water bowls, two litter boxes, even a small basket of toys in the living room. He put the treats in a closed cabinet - Mateo had warned that Sprite could get into the bag if it was left out - and sat down on the couch in the living room. Eddie had already plopped himself into his armchair and was absorbed in some sort of technical drawing in his notebook. 

Volt was tempted to scoop up Sprite and cuddle with her on the couch, but according to Mateo, that was not a good way to build trust with her. He just had to wait until she voluntarily came to see him.

He picked up the remote and idly flipped through television channels. They rarely had so much down time but they'd decided to keep the bar closed tonight to keep an eye on Sprite while she got used to the flat. Volt almost didn't know what to do with himself.

He finally got absorbed in some sort of ridiculous reality show, the kind of show that spawned drama and gossip. It was oddly compelling. He thought he remembered Keyes talking to Telly about the show - he'd have to ask them what they thought of it.

While he was watching, Sprite was roaming through the apartment, no doubt trying to find mischief to cause. When she was done knocking everything off Volt’s bedside table, she walked back into the living room. 

Much to Eddie's chagrin, she decided to leap up onto the arm of his chair and began sniffing his notebook. When she found nothing interesting, she sniffed his hair and began swatting at the wires.

“Stop that,” Eddie said with annoyance. He almost followed it up with ‘leave me alone’, but before he could get the words out, she headbutted his arm and began purring.

“She likes you,” commented Volt, whose attention had been drawn by Eddie's admonishing.

“She just likes my wires,” Eddie countered. 

“Same thing,” Volt said, shrugging, “Cats are weird sometimes.”

Eddie made a noise of agreement, looking back down at the little inanimal. She was pretty cute, he admitted to himself, and her purring did make him want to smile. 

Volt smiled after seeing Eddie's eyes soften. He'd known his other half would fall in love with the cat, no matter how much he grumbled.

The next few days progressed as Volt expected. Every morning and evening, he'd feed Sprite and clean her litter boxes. Throughout the day he'd top off her water bowl. He'd toss out toys for her before they left for the bar, to make sure she stayed occupied and caused as little mischief as possible.

And he watched Sprite win over Eddie.

It was slow at first. She'd sit next to him and purr and he'd ignore her. But then the next night, he experimentally ran his hand down her back and she began purring louder.

“I was thinking of maybe bringing Sprite to the bar tonight,” Eddie told Volt several days later, “She must be lonely up here, she's alone for so long.”

“Why don't you ask Mateo what he thinks of that?” Volt said. For once, he was the one who was unsure.

“I already did,” Eddie admitted, “He said it would probably be fine if it's a slow night and there's no open mic. And we can always bring her back upstairs if she gets scared.”

“You've thought this out. If I didn't know better, I'd say you just want her around,” Volt teased. 

“It's just so she doesn't get into anything in the apartment,” Eddie grumbled, trying to defend himself. 

“If you say so,” Volt said, smiling. 

It turned out that bringing Sprite to the bar had been an excellent idea. Instead of exploring or getting into trouble, she sat on Eddie's shoulder while he made drinks. And she was a big hit with the customers. 

“How precious!” Betty cooed. She decided to sit at the bar instead of her usual table - and Eddie noticed she was ordering more than usual. In fact, multiple objects seemed to come over to see Sprite and ended up buying a drink too. It was the busiest Eddie had been in a while. But somehow he didn't mind - likely related to the constant purring in his ear. 

By the end of the night, the tip jar was fuller than normal, everyone had a smile on their face, and Eddie's hair was thoroughly chewed. Sprite’s presence had had a positive impact on everything. 

When Eddie was settling into bed that night, he patted the bed next to him. Sprite immediately jumped up, already purring, and walked over to Eddie's pillow. She began chewing on his wiry hair and he laughed and just brushed his hair away from her. 

He rolled onto his side, pressing his chest flush against Volt’s back. Sprite nimbly jumped and curled up on his hip, laying her head down but still purring.

“I knew you'd love her,” Volt murmured, lacing his fingers with the hand that Eddie had draped over his side. 

“Shut up,” Eddie said simply. Volt couldn't see his face grow pink but he could imagine it.

“Goodnight, darling,” Volt said, smiling and letting his eyes fall closed.

“Goodnight,” Eddie said, kissing Volt’s shoulder.

They both fell asleep to the sound of Sprite purring, curled up on Eddie's hip. She wasn't going anywhere for the night. And that was exactly how he wanted it.

Chapter Text

The first drink that Bev had served you was awful. She was cashing in a favor, asking you to test some of her new potential signature drinks. The second, third, and fourth drinks tasted somewhat better. The fifth drink and onwards were all delicious mistakes.

By the end of the night, your mouth tasted like a mash-up of mixers and your vision swam as you tried to stand up. 

“‘m headin’ out, Bev,” you said. The mixologist had finally reached the end of her list of possible drinks.

“Wait,” she said, “Which one did you like best?”

“The peppermint mocha espresso martini was amazing,” you said, slurring your words slightly.

“Okay! Thank you!”

You nodded at her and carefully walked out the door of the Tipsy Tumbler. You kept the dateviators on, enjoying the brighter saturation of colors in the house as you wandered upstairs toward Betty.

Your mind started wandering along with your feet. You dragged your hand along the wall which made you think of static electricity, which made you think of…

At the top of the stairs, you turned right instead of left, stumbling a little bit when you turned too quickly. You grabbed the doorknob to the closet as your vision swam again. Just a little more, almost there.

You focused your eyes on the breaker box and started getting dizzy as it transformed into the Breaker Box. It was late, after last call, and you didn’t know if they’d still be in the bar. But you had to try.

Pulling open the door at least gave you some sense of grounding in the altered reality. It swung open and you saw an empty bar with dimmed lights. Not a good sign. But then, as your eyes swept the room–

There they were. At the bar, chatting. Volt was leaning against the side of the bar and Eddie was behind the bar, cleaning the glassware used by the customers that night. You felt a rush of warmth in your heart at seeing your boyfriends. You also felt a rush of warmth to your face, but you assumed that that was the alcohol.

“I love you!” you called to them as you made your way over. They looked up at the sound of your slightly wobbly voice. Volt beamed and began walking towards you while Eddie looked bemused and stayed in place.

“Livewire, you’re looking radiant as always,” Volt said, which earned a smile back.

“How many drinks did Bev make you test?” Eddie asked as the two of you walked towards the bar. He had more experience with intoxicated patrons and clocked you the moment you walked in; Volt hadn’t yet realized the situation.

“A few,” you said vaguely, “They were good! You’re really pretty, V.” Volt arched an eyebrow and figured out that you were slightly less than sober.

“Well, thank you, but you’re the pretty one,” Volt said. You’d made the slow stroll back to the bar and you sat on the barstool. It felt more precarious than usual and you took a couple of tries to situate yourself.

“Nooo,” you said, drawing out the word, “You’re both pretty. Have you seen Eddie’s eyes? He’s fucking gorgeous.”

“I’m right here, spark,” Eddie said, smiling and shaking his head.

“And I love you for it!” you said enthusiastically.

You usually weren’t this open with praise. You gave them compliments, of course, and told them you loved them, but usually not so effusively. But something about your intoxicated state made you determined to make sure they knew exactly how you felt about them.

“Eddie, you look really good behind the bar. Have I ever told you that? You’re so damn sexy when you make drinks,” you said. Eddie blushed slightly. You continued. “And Volt! The way you can control a crowd is so fucking hot.”

“Are you going to remember this in the morning, livewire?” Volt asked. You thought for a moment.

“I dunno,” you answered honestly, “but I’m still gonna think it. Can I have some water?”

“That’s a very good idea,” Eddie said, turning around to get you a large glass of water. Just before he turned on the tap, he rolled up his sleeves, which sparked another thought that you absolutely had to share.

“I’m feral for your forearms,” you said. The room was beginning to swim again but you planted your hands firmly on the bar to keep yourself in place. It was important to you to say this.

“What does that even mean?” Eddie asked, the bemused expression back on his face. He set the glass of water in front of you.

“Means I wanna bend you over the bar when you roll your sleeves up,” you said matter-of-factly.

“You’ve had way too much to drink, spark. You need to get yourself into bed,” Eddie said. He couldn’t hide the pink that flushed across his face from your statement.

“An’ Volt’s arms too. You’re both too damn hot,” you said. You tried to drink some of the water but the glass didn’t want to make its way steadily to your face.

“Livewire–” Volt began.

“Can I stay at your flat tonight?” you asked, trying to make yourself look pitiable, “I’ll do the sad puppy-dog eyes.”

“I don’t trust you to make it to Betty yourself, so yes, you can stay,” Volt said, which earned a nod of agreement from Eddie.

“Yay!” you exclaimed, “I get to sleep with two hot guys!” Both Eddie and Volt laughed at your statement, which you didn’t quite understand. You were just happy they were happy.

“Next to,” Eddie corrected, “You’re very drunk, nothing is going to happen.”

“Don’t make me pout,” you said, pouting as the words came out.

“We’re not going to be swayed by pouting, you can barely sit up straight,” Eddie said. You made an effort to sit up with good posture but in the process nearly knocked yourself off balance.

“C’mon, livewire, let me help you off the stool,” Volt said, taking ahold of your elbow and helping you keep your balance as you slipped back to standing. You started giggling.

“Did you see that?” you asked Eddie, attempting to whisper and failing, “A hot guy just helped me stand up. I think I have a crush.”

“We’ve been dating for months,” Volt reminded you. You beamed at him.

“I’m dating a hot guy! Wait…I’m dating two hot guys!” You added the second part when you remembered Eddie.

“You’re my favorite,” you said to Eddie, and continued without a pause, “and Volt is my favorite too.”

Volt took your hand and began leading you towards the stairs. You followed obediently, not entirely sure anymore what was happening.

“Wait, where are we going?” you asked.

“Up to bed,” Volt said, confused, “we just talked about it.”

“But I want to stay with Eddie!” you whined, “Can Eddie come too?”

“I have dishes to finish, spark,” Eddie said.

“I’m gonna pout again,” you said, doing as you promised. Eddie laughed and shook his head.

“The dishes can wait til morning. Let’s just get you upstairs,” he said.

Several minutes and many compliments later, you found yourself snuggled into bed, wearing an oversized t-shirt of Volt’s as pajamas.

“I love you,” you whispered to them as you fell asleep.

“We love you too,” Volt and Eddie said, nearly in unison.

“Two hot guys love me,” you said, almost in disbelief, smiling widely.

By the time you fell asleep, your face hurt from smiling. You couldn’t believe how lucky you were to have these two next to you.

Chapter Text

Monarchs rarely got days off. But every once in a while, there was a blissful day with no meetings, no itinerary, and no looming crisis. Volt cherished these days and took full advantage of them. He notified the servants that he would see no one unless there was immediate danger. Anything else that came up could wait for tomorrow. 

You were more used to open days; as the queen consort, you had fewer responsibilities. But you adored the extra time spent with your husband. The staff knew to rearrange your schedule as much as necessary to have a free day when the king did.

“My darling,” Volt said quietly, waking you on one of your peaceful days together, “My queen…will you wake for me? I have breakfast for you.”

You cracked open your eyes to see your husband, clad only in his linen nightshirt and dressing gown. He carried a tray laden with breakfast foods and you could see another waiting on your dressing table, presumably for him.

“Thank you,” you said, your voice low and gravelly from sleep, “Come into bed, my love.” You scooted over in the bed to give him room to join you. He handed you your tray, then his own, which you held while he settled himself in the blankets and against the pillows of your plush bed.

“I love your morning voice,” he said, giving you a soft smile as he picked up his silverware.

“Why? I sound like I've chewed rocks.”

“Because I'm the only one who gets to hear it,” he replied, “It's just for me.”

It was true; you always waited several minutes and cleared your throat before speaking to your handmaiden who'd woken you. It was specifically to avoid the voice you felt was unbecoming. But you had no such qualms when interacting with your husband.

“Just like your openness is only for me,” you teased. It was true; although he was a charismatic king, this behavior was always calculated and slightly less than genuine. He wore the mask of a king for everyone, even his valet de chambre, his personal attendant. Truly, he seemed to let down his mask only for the queen…with one exception. 

“Will Eddie be joining us today?” You asked.

“Not today,” Volt replied, “He has meetings with the trade guilds that could not be moved.”

“So I have you all to myself,” you said, resting your head on the king's shoulder. While you loved Volt's top advisor, it was nice to have a day of just the two of you. You genuinely did love him: he was functionally a third in your marriage. He adored and was adored by both monarchs just as much as they loved each other. But you couldn't deny that you also loved the days when it was just the two of you.

You continued eating your breakfast in companionable silence. He finished first, then finally drained his coffee. You wrinkled your nose at that; you didn't understand how he tolerated such a bitter beverage. When he was done, he gazed at you for several seconds. 

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, my queen?” he said gently. 

“Quite often,” you said, smiling and tucking his bright white hair behind his ear. 

“How about gorgeous? Radiant? Heavenly? Ravishing?”

“Ravishing is new,” you said, blushing, “thank you, my king.” Volt beamed that he'd found a new compliment. The wide, genuine smile made your heart ache with adoration. 

“It's true,” he said matter-of-factly. You smiled, still blushing, and looked away from him. The beginning of a plan popped into your mind.

“Can I draw you again today?” you asked, “You mentioned you wanted an updated royal portrait, if you like the sketch I can give it to the painter as a basis.”

“As long as you draw me naked and attractive,” he said, bouncing his eyebrows. 

“Nope. That body is also only for me.”

“Very good point, my queen. Dressing gown it is.”

“You're ridiculous,” you said fondly, “Something royal.”

“In that case, I take my leave to dress,” he said, stepping off the bed and bowing.

“Come back when you're ready,” you said as he walked through the door that separated your chambers.

You'd finished your breakfast and placed the tray carefully atop a chest of drawers; your handmaiden would retrieve them later in the day.

As was common on your days off, you dressed in a simple peasant’s dress and kirtle. It was a much simpler and more comfortable outfit and you could dress yourself without help from your handmaiden. When you first arrived you'd requested a couple of the outfits from the palace seamstress, who balked. Ultimately, Volt had to step in and use his charm to convince her to accept the request. The kindness of the gesture was one of the first actions that had made you fall in love with him. 

You knew there had been a lot of palace gossip after that incident. There was still gossip every time you wore a peasant’s outfit. But you couldn't bring yourself to care while you were so unstifled with nothing curtailing your movement. 

Later, you'd asked Volt why he'd stepped in and asked the seamstress to make those outfits. After all, didn't he want his queen to look royal and attractive? 

“It was kind of selfish,” he'd admitted, “You're prettiest when you're happy. I wanted to see your smile light up the room.”

You'd nearly swooned at his words. Even now, over a year later, you blushed at the memory.

You forced your mind to stop wandering and stay in the present. You sat at your dressing table and twisted your hair up into a simple bun and patted your various powders onto your skin. You did still want to look presentable.

You heard a soft knock at the adjoining door.

“Come in, Volt,” you said, and your husband entered. He was fully dressed, down to the shoes. The heels clicked on the floor as he walked towards you.

“I'm ready, my queen,” he said, “and you look so beautiful.”

“You're the pretty one,” you said, “look at you!”

“Agree to disagree,” Volt said with a smile, “Now, where do you want to draw me?”

“I left my things in the east lounge, how about there?”

“As you wish, my love.”

He opened your chamber door for you and held out his arm. The two of you walked through the halls towards the room in question.

“Did you leave your drawing supplies there after a lesson? How are those going?” the king asked.

“They're going well! I really love working with Lisa. I should show you some of what I've done.”

“I'd love to see it! And how are French and riding lessons going?”

“Les leçons de français sont bons,” You said. The French lessons are good. “And riding is good but very tiring.”

“Bien, je suis fier de toi,” he replied with a smile. Good, I'm proud of you. “Riding gets easier the more you practice.

You walked another moment in silence.

“You still want to do these lessons, right? Am I pushing them on you?” he asked, a crease between his brows.

“Oh, no, I love them!” you said enthusiastically, “I can't imagine sitting around not learning anything.”

“I'm glad. I just wanted to make sure,” he said with a gentle smile. 

You arrived at the lounge and sure enough, your easel was still set up in the corner. Your charcoal and pens were on a table next to it.

“Here, why don't you come sit in this chair and rest your arm against the table,” you said, indicating a chair and a small table.

“As you wish, my queen,” Volt said.

You got him settled into a good position, turned your easel so you could see him more easily, and switched to a new piece of parchment.

“What expression are you thinking?” you asked him.

“Hmm…” he thought for a moment, “I want to look at the viewer like I know something they don't. Eye contact and a smirk.”

“As you wish, my king,” you said, “Can you hold that face for a while?”

“You know me, darling. I could smirk for a week straight, including in my sleep.”

“That's true,” you conceded. 

Volt set his face exactly how he'd described and held the expression like a statue. You put charcoal to paper and began sketching out the scene before you.

It was always so hard to capture his likeness, especially his white hair and eyes. Too many stray lines near them would make them look too dark. And then there was the matter of his nose; you could never seem to get the angle right.

You were soon absorbed in your work and a couple of hours passed by without you noticing. By the time you were done, you had charcoal over both your hands and, somehow, on parts of your face. But you also had a sketch of Volt that you felt was fairly decent.

“I think I'm done for today,” you told him, at which point he stood up and stretched.

“Can I see?” he asked. You carefully turned the easel around and he gasped. “It's amazing, my love. Can this be a reference for the new royal portrait, like you said?”

“Sure. It's not that good, though,” you said, looking down and blushing. 

“It is,” he said firmly. He put two fingers under your chin and brought them upwards, forcing you to look into his eyes. “You're an amazing artist. I'll keep telling you that until you believe it.”

He gently kissed your forehead, cheek, and lips, carefully avoiding the charcoal smears. You wrapped your arms around his neck, keeping him in the kiss longer. He smiled against your lips and conceded, kissing you more deeply. By the time he pulled away, you were both breathing heavily.

“As much as I want to continue this,” Volt said, “I think we should bring you back to your washroom. You have charcoal all over your face and hands.”

“You know my washroom is right next to my bed chamber,” you pointed out.

“...yes?” Volt said, not understanding your point.

“If your handsome face sets foot in my bed chamber right now, you won't be leaving for quite a while.”

“I was counting on that, my queen,” Volt said, winking at you.

You traveled the same halls as earlier, much faster this time.