Eddie and Volt learned to be good liars. They had to in order to keep the true state of the houseâs electricity, and the faulty wire, hidden. And for so many years, lying was enough. But then you came along.Â
Voltâs interest in you was never a lie. You were a sight to behold from the moment you met, with a playful personality that meshed perfectly with his own. Despite telling you lies to keep you at armâs length (and away from Eddie), he was genuinely interested in you. He meant, and thoroughly enjoyed, every flirtation, and found himself growing ever fonder of you each time you met. But he couldnât involve you in the power situation, even though part of him wanted to.
Eddieâs growing approval of you was never a lie. He was honest about wanting nothing to do with you. Once you had wormed your way into doing maintenance with him, he was honest about your skill (and your occasional lack thereof). And once you had wormed your way into his circuits, he was honest with his actions, not his words. He couldnât bring himself to say his feelings for you aloud. To confess would mean revealing the power situation, and he couldnât do that, even though part of him wanted to.
The night of the reset, the two men had discussed letting you help, letting you in. They decided that they would soonâŚand then the universe decided soon meant now, and suddenly you had followed them into the back room through pitch black darkness and declared, voice caring yet determined, âNo more lies.âÂ
One of the memories of that night that lingers most in Eddie and Voltâs minds is of your eyes in that moment. They glinted in the dim glow emanating from Volt, the only light remaining in the Breaker Box. Your eyes shone with desperation, fear, and an element of heartbreak that left both men powerless in your gaze. They couldnât lie to you anymore, even if they wanted to. Not when you looked at them like that.
After the reset, when things had calmed down and the three of you had a chance to discuss and solidify your relationship, you reiterated your stance: âNo more lies.â You let them know you had been lied to before by past lovers, and you werenât sure you could handle that kind of betrayal again. You knew why they had lied about the wire and the power, and you could understand it. But there would be no more lying to you ever again. They agreed.
That brings us to the present, where one thing has become clear: lying can be a hard habit to break. Especially if itâs being used as a coping or defense mechanism.
For Volt, lying is for defense, both of himself and of Eddie (but mostly Eddie). If he can distract objects with some charming lies, theyâll be less likely to go to Eddie with requests for power and therefore less likely to overload the faulty wire. But he doesnât have to worry about that anymore, so he can stop lying.
For Eddie, lying is for coping. If he says he isnât hurting, then maybe the words will translate to reality and his body really will stop hurting. The whole house depends on him; he canât let the faulty wire keep him down. But he doesnât have to worry about that anymore, so he can stop lying.Â
Knowing that they can stop does not necessarily make it easier to. They were lying for so long, it feelsâŚdifficult to be vulnerable. Sometimes, they slip up.Â
Once, you hadnât been able to find Eddie at the Breaker Box all night. It had you worried. You approached Volt and asked him where your partner was. On instinct, he was dismissive, not even looking your way.Â
âYou know how Eddie is, live wire! He doesnât like the crowds. Iâm sure heâll be here to greet you after the show.â He finally met your gaze with a showmanâs grin â and froze. That heartbreak was in your eyes again as you furrowed your eyebrows at him. He realized his mistake before you could even call him on it, and remedied it immediately.Â
âSweet spark, my apologies. I wasnât thinking. Eddie has a headache, so I told him to lay down for the night. I was so preoccupied, I forgot to tell you.â The forgiveness in the smile you gave him in return almost made his knees buckle.Â
Another time, you were helping Eddie wash glasses at the end of a busy evening at the bar. Once they were all dried and back on the shelves, he let you know he could take over from there and handle the rest himself. You asked if he was sure.
He wasnât. He was exhausted. But he was on autopilot, denying all help just like he used to. You looked him over, spotting a few new cuts on his right hand and fresh dark circles under his eyes. He followed your gaze and put his hand in his pocket.Â
âYou promised not to lie to me,â you said. Your voice was soft, just above a whisper, full of disappointment. Eddieâs eyes widened as you took a step back, away from him, retreating.
âWait, I-â he rushed forward, taking hold of one of your hands and tugging you back to him, against his chest. âIâm sorry. I wasnât thinking. Iâve gotten so used to doing it all myself, IâmâŚIâm still getting used to accepting help.â The relief he felt when you nuzzled into the crook of his neck made his knees weak.
They arenât perfect at letting their walls down, yet. Itâs going to take time. But you are patient, and with each passing day Eddie and Volt reveal more of themselves to you.
