#he needs

The noise of something thumping through the vents got Doey’s attention first, his mind languidly rising up from sleep as he tracked the noise to somewhere outside, and then—

A soft noise as the door eased open, the plap-plap of bare feet trekking over the concrete floor, and a softer sigh as a ruffling of cloth heralded the newcomer sitting down. 

“Do-ey…” The warm voice was all smiles, playful, though Doey was still fairly exhausted and not quite ready to wake up. 

“Nooo, go ‘way…” 

“Uh oh,” The warmer voice murmured, playful tone amping to frankly worrying levels, Doey frowning as he retracted his head into his body. “Think we got a big grumpy bear. And if I remember right, he’s usually pretty grumpy when the jerks upstairs don’t feed him.”  

Which, yeah, true. Though in this situation Doey found it was more annoying than helpful to stay awake. They’d…feed him in the morning, hopefully. But morning wouldn’t get here fast enough if he couldn’t sleep.

“Think maybe we better feed this big grumpy bear.” The warm voice spoke up again, Doey giving an aggravated grunt as he poked his head out and snaked it around to actually look at his visitor. 

“Six, I just want to—” 

He’d opened his eyes and turned, just in time to hear the sounds of multiple plastic packaging rattling around, and see how Six was sitting cross-legged, a manic grin on her face with a literal pile of snacks in her lap, cushioned by the dull green smock the scientists had given her to wear. 

“Wh-Where did you get all of that?!” 

“From the employee lockers~!” She sang, red eyes gleaming like a sunrise as she grinned ear to ear. “Wasn’t like they were using them. Here, you can have ‘em!” 

And then she just shoved it all in his direction, Doey feeling a grin both awed and utterly disbelieving lighting up his face. 

“Th-Thank you!” The doughman babbled, hurriedly sitting up and molding his arms to grasp as much of the plastic packaging as he could reach. However, once he had it, Doey couldn’t help looking from the literal pile in his arms to Six herself, eyes retaking in the smaller, pale, human frame. Here he’d been, more or less willing to sit and wait for food, and the much less physically powerful Six instead went out and got Doey food. 

“Here—” He started, trying to proffer at least some of it back, only for Six unfold herself enough to push back at his hands with a foot, of all things. “Eww, quit it, I dunno where that’s been…” 

“The vents and a few examination rooms. Also a locker room. There, now you know.” 

All Doey could muster in response was a laugh and half a groan, head shaking as he retook in the haul. A few Twinkies, two Fruit Rollups, Ding-Dongs, and was that a Galaxy Brownie?! 

“You’re welcome~.” Six hummed, the grin on her face now with that same warm tenor. Both comforting and bittersweet for Doey, considering what his fractured memories tended to recall of that sort of tone. Warm, safe, almost…familial.