Chapter 23
Volt
Volt paced by the fountain. It was right in the middle of the park, with stone turtles at the base and fish leaping high into the air. With its dramatic height, it should have been visible from a distance, but the tree-lined paths that led to it curved whimsically and the vibrant green leaves might block it from view.
What if Wallace couldn’t find it?
What if he wasn’t coming?
Volt had arrived twenty minutes early, which was clearly a mistake because all he had done since then was pace back and forth, trying to keep all three paths in sight while managing his own jitters. He had a bag from the pastry shop clutched in one hand, and he was eternally grateful that he didn’t sweat because he was sure the paper would have been soaked through.
“Volt!”
The shout had him wheeling around. And then racing down the farthest path.
It was Wallace, twelve minutes early. Looking hot as fuck with a russet t-shirt, dark jeans, and a backpack that looked like he did some serious hiking.
Volt probably should have had some decorum, but he was just so relieved to see Wallace there, to see his pink cheeks with that nervous little smile and bright eyes, that he didn’t try to stop himself. One moment he was running, and the next he was still running, but with an armful of delicious sub.
Wallace let out an adorable squeak, and then a hearty laugh. “Put me down!” he demanded, still laughing. His legs were locked fully around Volt’s hips. “Where are we even going?”
Volt had no idea. He’d run clear off the path, up a hill, and into a copse of trees.
“No idea,” he answered. “But I’m not putting you down. You squeaked for me.” He kissed Wallace’s cheek, swaying with the man in his arms. “My hamster.”
Wallace’s cheeks pinked up beautifully. “I don’t know why I let you call me that.”
“I call you that because you’re so cute.” He ran a hand through Wallace’s hair, then down his freshly shaved cheek. “Mmmmm… and you’re all smooth, too.”
And happy. Wallace looked happy.
He should always look this happy.
“Yeah, I, uh, shaved this morning,” Wallace told him. “Are you really not going to put me down?” he asked. Then, as soft as petals falling, with just a hint of worry in his endless brown eyes, he added a tentative, “Daddy?”
Volt just had to kiss him then. Those pretty pink lips. That soft skin. And god, that squeezable ass. Just delicious. Put him down? “Not when you call me that, I’m not.”
He walked toward the next tree, pressing Wallace’s backpack against the wide trunk. He just had to kiss him again. And again.
Soft, sweet breathy kisses. Deep, hungry passionate kisses. Because Wallace was melting into him, making the sweetest little sounds. All Volt wanted was Wallace wrecked and ruined, panting his name and clinging to his shoulders.
“Daddy…” Wallace moaned. “You’re gonna make me…”
“What princess? What am I gonna make you do?”
A full-body shudder swept through Wallace’s frame at the word princess .
God, he was precious.
Volt squeezed one arm between them, aiming for Wallace’s zipper. In a few moments, he could have his mouth full of that sweet, delicious cock.
“Daddy!” Wallace whispered, rutting against him. “We’re in public. You can’t do dirty things to me here.”
“Mmmmm… I can’t?” He was sure that the little thrill of the forbidden would be right up Wallace’s tree, so to speak. He wanted that pretty pink dick in his mouth. He needed Wallace’s face looking down at him, glowing with pleasure and blissed out as he cried out his joy for the whole park to hear.
“Nnnn… no, Daddy. Oh, fuck. I mean… Nnnnnoooo. No.” The last one was more serious. Final. Not an oh, please don’t ravish me with your big sexy body, Daddy, but an actual demand to stop.
Volt pulled back, realizing what he’d been about to do. They were in public. And not very well hidden. This was illegal.
Was sex that ingrained in him?
What was wrong with him that he’d come here for a nice date—a picnic and the aquarium—and all he could think of was fucking?
He knew he’d been designed as a sexbot, but he’d thought that catching the spark meant he could make his own decisions. What if he couldn’t overcome his programming?
Had Bobby and all the others been right all along? Maybe he wasn’t relationship material at all. Maybe he was just a sexbot, incapable of ever being anything more.
“Sorry, baby,” he whispered in Wallace’s ear. “I got a little carried away. I should have stopped.” He let Wallace slip down his body until he could stand on his own feet, unsure if he should back away entirely.
“It’s okay.” Wallace nuzzled against his chest, his face hidden. “I like it when you go all caveman on me.”
Volt released a sigh. He hadn’t screwed up too badly then. He’d just have to watch himself more carefully in the future.
“And, uh, maybe that would be fun some other time?” Wallace asked.
Volt had to give him a kiss for that. Just one short, sweet one. “We can definitely revisit that, creampuff. I’m so proud of you for telling me.”
Wallace’s face was flushed red, but he was grinning. Adorable.
Now Volt just had to manage a normal date. With eating, at least for Wallace, and talking. And definitely no sex.
But Daddy-ing? Was that still on the table?
They hadn’t ever talked about that.
Volt knew what he wanted… but was that his programmed-in libido or what was best for Wallace?
Actually, none of it mattered if it wasn’t what was best for Wallace.
If Wallace even said yes to his proposal.
Volt turned around to finally look at where they were. By pure chance, he’d landed in a nice shady spot, cool under the trees. “Is this a good place for a picnic?” He’d never had one. “Or we could go back to the benches near the path. Or the field if you want more sun. I mean, if it’s too cool here, or if you just wanted to…” Oh, great. He was babbling.
It was just really, really different doing this outside of Prism’s familiar rooms.
Wallace looked around, then smiled up at him winningly. “This looks good, Daddy.”
Volt’s fans raced. His circuits sizzled. Wallace was happy.
Wallace was still calling him Daddy.
He’d gotten something right.
“I’ve got a blanket in my backpack,” Wallace offered, pulling it out. “Oops. I guess we squished my breakfast.”
Volt was stricken. His appetite for sex had screwed that up, too, when he’d backed Wallace into the tree.
Volt looked down at the bag in his hand. It was completely crumpled, with glistening spots forming on white paper. “I got you something,” he offered, “but I think I squished it, too. Should I get you a new breakfast?” He would find one. Somewhere.
But Wallace was beaming. “You got me something?”
“Yeah.” Volt tried not to look as nervous as he felt. Ordering lingerie for a scene didn’t phase him, but dating was completely different. Terrifying, even.
“Thank you, Daddy,” Wallace said, so hushed and sweet that Volt’s chest went all tight. “Will you help me with the blanket?”
Volt leapt to assist. This he could do. He spread the red-and-white checkered blanket on the ground, then set Wallace’s backpack and the crumpled pastry bag down at one corner when the wind tried to blow everything away. “This looks like something out of a movie,” he commented.
A movie that he’d dreamed of being in for a long time, but hadn’t quite convinced himself could happen. For him.
“I, uh, bought the picnic blanket for this,” Wallace said, looking adorably awkward. “And the backpack. And my, um, clothes.” He wrapped his arms around his chest, covering his big, beautiful body.
Something cracked open inside Volt’s skin. Something so precious, so sweet…
He’d been so caught up in his own anxiety that he’d nearly forgotten how nervous Wallace must be.
Maybe, just maybe, what his baby boy needed was exactly what Volt wanted to give him.
Which meant he needed to step up as the Daddy to help him relax. Especially when Wallace had gone to such lengths to prepare.
And was still calling him Daddy.
“You look gorgeous, baby boy. Absolutely stunning.” Volt unwrapped Wallace’s hand from his middle and dropped a kiss on the back, then led him the few steps to the blanket. “And you’ve made us the perfect little picnic.” He settled himself on the ground and pulled Wallace after him, snuggling his boy up against his side. “Is your breakfast too squished?”
Wallace pulled out a foil-wrapped package triumphantly. “Nope. It’s eggs on a bagel. It’ll still taste good.” Then he looked up, out of the corner of his eye. “Uh, thank you, Daddy. For doing this with me.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Volt told him, dropping a kiss on his forehead.
If Wallace was calm, he could be calm. And Wallace more than calm. He looked delighted. Happy and at peace.
Volt had made Wallace happy .
He took a moment to listen to the rustle of the leaves, inhaling the fresh breeze and Wallace’s own subtle scent. The mingled aroma of eggs, cheese, and fresh bread burst out as Wallace opened the foil.
“That smells good,” Volt commented.
“Yeah?” Wallace asked. “Do you want some? I mean, if you can eat?”
His baby was so sweet. “I can, but no, thank you.”
Wallace took a bite and swallowed. “Is it weird that I’m eating and you’re not?”
Volt gave him a squeeze. “No. I’m used to it. I want you to get the energy you need and… I don’t know. It just seems normal.” Humans needed to eat. Sparks didn’t. It was just how it was. “I’ll have to recharge again tomorrow morning,” he mentioned.
If he had newer batteries, it would be every three days, but right now his battery life was down to the thirty-hour range. Yet another expense to worry about.
“Good point,” Wallace said, taking another bite. “I guess you wouldn’t share your power port with me. But the smell, is that…? Oh, wait. That’s probably rude. Forget I asked.”
Volt shrugged. “It’s alright to ask. I think it’s different for every spark. But sexbots, at least most of the recent, higher-end models, are built with an olfactory sensor. I think there’s a whole database behind it with most of it cued toward scents on people, probably to give them compliments. Like, if someone’s wearing perfume, I always know if it smells like wisteria or orange blossom, but I don’t quite know how. I’m pretty good at recognizing spices in foods, too.”
“But you don’t eat?”
“Not if I can avoid it. I can enjoy flavors, but then I have to dump the masticated food out later and that’s…”
“Disgusting,” Wallace finished for him. “Alright, no sharing then.” Wallace took another bite.
This was going much better than Volt had hoped. Not so weird at all.
They lapsed into silence while Wallace ate. It was peaceful, listening to the trees, watching the sunshine through the leaves. Dropping little kisses on Wallace’s head.
“I would take a picture here,” Wallace commented lazily, and then seemed to get flustered. “I mean, well, that didn’t make sense. But on my walks? For you? I know I’m not a photographer, but, uh, this looks like where I would take one. To, uh, show you.”
“This would be a beautiful photo,” Volt agreed. “And I can see how much care you put into those pictures.” He could see it just in the variety of backgrounds. He could feel it in the matching need between them—how earnest Wallace had been in sending them each day, and how much Volt had looked forward to receiving them. “They’re always lovely.”
Wallace gave an awkward little shrug, like he didn’t really want to accept the compliment. “I just try to make sure they don’t get boring for you.”
Volt had to squeeze him close again. His timid little hamster. “They’re never boring when they’re from you. Maybe we should take one right now. Of the two of us, to remember our date.” He would even print it out and put it in his office.
Wallace looked up at him, and then looked away. He sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Wait! Volt felt like alarms must be ringing inside his head, but there weren’t any. What had gone wrong? “Is that too much? We don’t have to.”
Shit. He’d asked for too much. Tried to make it too real. Maybe if he’d first met Wallace outside of Prism, if they’d just started with a normal date, this could have been something.
He should have known better.
He did know better.
Or maybe he was just a stupid sexbot.
Wallace finally looked back at him. “No. We should do it. I guess the picture is for me?”
Volt wasn’t quite following his train of thought. His gears felt like they were spinning too fast and crunching the wrong way, all at the same time. “Well, yes. I thought we’d both keep one.”
For his office. In a pretty frame.
Wallace blew out a breath and Volt tried to give him all his attention as he started to speak. “Listen. I, um, okay, this is going to sound stupid. So, I read about sub frenzy. And how, like, new subs kind of get addicted to kink. And maybe mix up their kinks with the person who, uh, provides that. And, um, like, I know this is all a fantasy. Like, I’m paying you, right? And I get it. You’re a professional.”
The gears in Volt’s chest churned harder. It was Bobby all over again. He couldn’t speak, not even to interrupt Volt’s torrent of words.
“So, like, my fantasies, of, like, going on a date with you, or um, going on a date with mmmmmy Daddy, are, like, I know it’s a job for you? And you’re really good at your job. Really good! No complaints! And just because I want it to be real, doesn’t, ummm… I mean, probably you’re everybody’s fantasy boyfriend? And, I guess the Dom-sub thing is a real thing, like, for us, right? But that’s… but that’s an agreement. Not a date. And this is…. I paid you. I just don’t want to get it confused. And be that guy who’s, uh, hitting on a sex worker?”
It took Volt far too long to make sense of that tangled stream. Did Wallace want it to be real? Was that what he was saying? That Volt was his fantasy boyfriend?
Or was he misunderstanding again?
Wallace was still talking. “Because that’s, like…. Oh, god, I can’t believe I’m saying this. But it’s the fantasy that I’m paying for, and, uh, it’s okay that you don’t really like me. I just… I want you to know that… Okay, I know the picture’s just for me, and I guess pretending is better than…”
Volt pressed a finger to Wallace’s lips. He needed a moment to think. As a spark, that sounded ridiculous, but it was still true. Emotions seemed to slow his processor speed, or at least muddle it. And Wallace had just dumped a lot on him, making him realize that maybe they’d both made assumptions.
Or maybe Volt was just hearing what he wanted to. He had to parse through it all and \ decide what to say, so he wouldn’t sound too foolish if he got it wrong. Again.
He pulled in a breath and let it out. The air did nothing to cool his fans, but it was supposed to be calming. It was usually calming. He did it again.
No, it wasn’t working this time. He was still an anxious ball of stress.
“Do you want this to be real?” he finally asked, starting with the basics.
Wallace’s eyes grew wide with wonder, before his brows knit back together. Volt moved his finger to let Wallace speak.
“Is this a trick question?
Volt shook his head. “No. It’s not a trick question.” He needed to be clear. Unequivocal. Even if it scared him. “I’m asking if you’d like to date me. Not as a paid transaction. As a relationship.”
Anxiety rippled through him at speaking so baldly. At putting himself out there when history had proven that reaching for a relationship, a real one, was a surefire way to get hurt.
Maybe he just wasn’t good enough for that. He was just a sexbot spark, who still worked in a business dedicated to that very art. He had no other skills except some office experience that was driving his family into bankruptcy. No ambitions. No drive. Nothing much to offer a man like Wallace at all.
And Wallace… fuck. Wallace seemed to agree. His expressive face turned closed off and cold.
“Why are you asking me this?” he asked stiffly.
Volt’s heart was breaking. He wasn’t sure how to answer, but he tried anyway. “I thought you wanted…”
Tried, and failed.
Wallace squeezed his eyes shut. “I know what I wanted. But you…” He opened his eyes. “I mean, look at you. That’s not actually an offer, is it? You want to date me ?”
Volt took a chance and cupped Wallace’s smooth-shaven jaw. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
He’d already laid it all out on the line. He couldn’t pull it back now.
Besides, it was true.
And if Wallace was too far above him to consider it, it was better to know now than later, no matter how much it hurt. Maybe then he could just accept that all he was good for was sex, and not make a mistake like this again.
Wallace jerked away from him.
“You’re lying!” he snapped viciously. “Or is it…? I mean, you know I have lots of money. So you want… yeah, okay.”
Wallace went still, then shook his head, grumbling under his breath as he looked down and swiped at his cheeks. It sounded suspiciously like he’d said, have to be stupid not to agree.
Volt opened his mouth, not sure if the Daddy in him was about to chastise his boy for speaking poorly of himself, or the responsible Dom in him wanted to remind Wallace that he absolutely did not have to agree. That he shouldn’t, not if it wasn’t what Wallace wanted too.
But before he could get a word out, Wallace looked back up at him.
“Yes, we can date,” he said in a small voice that couldn’t have telegraphed his unhappiness any louder.
Unhappiness wasn’t even a big enough word. Wallace looked miserable, with his arms wrapped around his chest and his shoulders hunched in on himself.
Shit. That was Wallace’s self-defense pose, the way he protected himself when he felt scared and alone.
As Volt knew he had far too many times as a child.
And in all his past relationships.
Volt already had all the clues, but he’d been so caught up in his own anxiety that he hadn’t realized how deeply Wallace’s history would color his boy’s view of Volt’s intent.
He tipped up Wallace’s face. “Sweetheart, is that what you think? That I’d want to date you for your money?”
Wallace blinked at him. “Well, yeah. I’m really rich. Or, I guess only kind of rich now, but I’ll be really rich later.”
God, his poor sweet baby. “And you were going to let me take advantage of your wealth, since it was the only way you thought you could have me?”
Wallace nodded, a tear trickling down his cheek. “Isn’t that how it works?”
“What if I said that I wanted to try dating you ? Wallace Wollencroft. My cute little creampuff.”
He had said that. But he needed Wallace to hear it.
Wallace shook his head. “Please don’t lie to me.”
“Oh, darling.” Volt hugged him to his chest, his own insecurities dropping away now that he finally felt like he understood his boy better. “I’m not lying. I promise. I mean, I’ll probably be crap at this, since I haven’t really dated before. But I swear I’m not lying. You could ask Angel, I guess. He’s been bugging me all week to just call you.”
“Yeah?” Wallace asked, his eyes puffy and crystalline with tears.
“Yeah, I can call him right now for you. He’s, uh, gotten a bit fed up with my sulking.”
Wallace blinked, looking adorably confused. “Sulking? Why were you sulking?”
Volt gave him a look. “Because you didn’t text me. For a whole week. It was horrible.”
He shuddered, making a show of it, but he wasn’t lying. And he let his boy see that, too.
Wallace’s eyes widened. And then he giggled. A sort of wet, snorting sound through his tears, but a real giggle. “You were sulking ?”
“Yeah,” Volt admitted. “And second-guessing myself every three seconds. I told you. I’m… not experienced with this. With having something real.”
“It was really hard not texting you.” Wallace’s fingers fiddled with Volt’s shirt as he looked up at him shyly. “I basically couldn’t eat or walk anywhere without thinking about you, so I was living on granola bars in my office.”
Volt made his eyes narrow, though he was rejoicing inside. This was a script he knew well, but it was more than that with Wallace, too. It felt right .
He was Wallace’s Daddy. His real Daddy.
“It sounds like my baby needs a reminder to take care of himself. Maybe thirty spankings over Daddy’s lap.”
Volt buried his head in his chest, but not before Volt saw his face turn a delightful pink. “Yes, Daddy.”
“As soon as I get you alone,” Volt promised, his heart swelling with cautious hope.
No, with joy .
Wallace looked up. “Okay, but really. I just don’t understand why . Why me ? You could literally date any one.”
Volt looked deep into his beautiful brown eyes. “Because you’re lovely. And sweet. And you work so hard to be a good boy. My good boy. Or my good girl.” He squeezed Wallace closer. “Either one. Because you let yourself be vulnerable with me. That’s something special.”
Wallace didn’t look convinced. “No, but why me ? There must be thousands of subs who would want you for their Daddy.”
Volt shrugged. What else could he say? He knew that he had a habit of crushing on anyone who fit his kinks and wanted more than a few scenes with him. Maybe Wallace was just one in a long line of hopeless crushes. But it felt like more than that, too. Something deeper than a crush. A connection .
How to put that into words? Wallace seemed to want reasons. Evidence. “None of them ever got me a gorgeous sculpture and said it reminded them of me.”
Wallace wrinkled his nose. “That was the difference?”
“None of them ever shared their worries with me about whether they were doing the right thing at work. None of them ever called me in the middle of the day because they needed me.”
“Isn’t that kind of pathetic, though? I should be able to handle myself.”
Volt ran his fingers through Wallace’s hair. How long would it take to make him understand? “That’s not pathetic to a Daddy, my little hamster. That’s what Daddies are for.”
“Don’t say that too loudly,” Wallace warned him. “I’m a mess most of the time. You’ll get sick of me.”
“Or I’ll help you feel more confident. Give you the tools and the support to navigate those difficult situations, or at least a refuge to come home to at the end of a long day.”
It was what he dreamed of. It was all the things Wallace considered failings that made them such a good fit. Not because they were flaws, but because people–all people, humans and sparks alike–came in an infinite array of shapes, sizes, and needs. And sometimes, some of those pieces simply… fit together, all their jagged edges matching up seamlessly to make something stronger than either one on their own.
“That sounds crazy,” Wallace told him. “Unless you like me because I’m broken.”
Volt shook his head. “Not even close. You’re amazing, and I want to celebrate with you, too. To be there for your successes. And just regular days. I want to go on dates to the aquarium. And hikes. And musicals. Or just watch movies on the couch. I want…”
A whole life together. That’s what he was describing.
Maybe that was too much to say yet, though. No, it definitely was.
Especially with Wallace still looking at him like he had a few screws loose. “I want to believe you,” he whispered when Volt didn’t continue, “but it’s hard.”
Volt kissed him. “Thank you for being honest with me, creampuff. I’m serious about calling Angel so you can hear it from him, though. Maybe he can convince you.”
Because his boy needed proof. Something tangible to soothe his fears.
“Angel’s a little scary,” Wallace mumbled.
Volt held in a smile. “Angel? He’s a sweetie. And he adores you. Here, I’m going to call him right now.”
Volt made the connection and turned on the speakers that nestled under his hair, just above his ears. He didn’t use them often, since he used his mouth and lungs for speech when he was around other people and sent his voice directly to electronic encodings the rest of the time, but this was one of the situations they were meant for.
Angel answered immediately. “Oh my god, Volt. It’s only been half an hour. Unless he stood you up? He didn’t stand you up, right?”
Volt winked at Wallace before answering through the speakers. “No, he came.”
“God, that better not be literal. I do not want to know. So, did you ask him? Did he say yes? Do you need another pep talk? Because, I swear to god Volt, if you don’t ask him…”
“And what, exactly, should I be asking him?” Volt cut in smoothly.
Angel sighed, as only an older brother could. “Listen, he likes you. You like him. You just say, ‘Hey, sugar iguana of my dreams, can we make this a real date?’”
Volt watched Wallace silently mouth sugar iguana?
“And then he says,” Angel continued, “ ‘Sure, Daddy, I want to have your babies and be your kinky, kinky sex toy. And your boyfriend. Now let’s go look at some fish.’ ”
Wallace had gone from wide-eyed shock to laughing too hard to contain himself. It was beautiful .
It was also a good thing Volt didn’t have the mic on.
“Okay,” Volt answered his brother. It was really hard to keep a straight face. “I think I’ve got that.”
“Hang on,” Angel said, suddenly sounding suspicious. Probably because he knew Volt too well. “Is he listening to all this?”
Volt grinned and cut the mic on, sharing Wallace’s beautiful laughter.
“Oh, hi Wallace!” Angel said brightly. “Please ignore everything I just said. Someone’s being an ass and didn’t tell me he had his speakers on.”
Volt shrugged, not even a little bit sorry.
Wallace just kept giggling.
“But you be nice to my Volt, okay?” Angel went on, a hint of steel under his breezy tone that Wallace probably wouldn’t pick up on, but that reminded Volt of how very much he was loved. “He’s been insufferable since you stopped texting him, so don’t go breaking his heart. He’s a hopeless romantic and those texts you send every day are apparently essential to his well being.”
“Okay,” Wallace promised, still shaking with mirth, but with something soft and lovely in his eyes now, too.
“Hang on, why are you even calling me?” Angel suddenly asked.
“Oh, no reason,” Volt answered.
Angel sent back a burst of static that made Wallace wince when it came through the speakers. “If you’re looking for my blessing, here it is. Congrats, you two. And now I’m going back to work. Bye!”
He cut the connection.
Volt cupped Wallace’s cheek in his hand, smoothing his thumb over the soft skin. “Convinced?”
Wallace’s eyes were shining. “It seems impossible. And I really hope this isn’t an elaborate hoax. But, um, yes?”
“It’s not a hoax, sweetheart. You just make me happy. Every time I see you.”
Wallace buried his face in Volt’s neck again. “You make me happy, too, Daddy.”
Volt could see that. Even better, he could feel it. And it meant everything to him.
Then Wallace sat up. “Why did Angel call me sugar iguana?”
Volt’s peels of laughter rang out, making him feel like he really did have a heart beating in his chest. And it was shaped just like the sculpture Wallace had given him. Vibrant and joyous and dancing.