2 2] New Family

"You alive?"

Phoenix flicked an ash in his ashtray and went to flip a page. The man was snuggled up in the corner under a blanket reclined back in his chair, reading a book. He simply ignored Dozer's question as he took another drag and dropped his hand to frail pages of the book. Dozer dropped his hands from the open doorway and stepped into his room, nonchalantly walking over to the neatly made bed. Not tearing his gaze away, Phoenix exhaled out his mouth then bluntly said it. "You sit on my bed and you're dead."

Dozer couldn't help but smile at the relaxed man, knowing he wasn't joking about it. He nipped his lip and chuckled at the bed, slipping his hands into his gym shorts pockets. "What are you reading now?"

"Nothing you would like." Phoenix rested his hand near the ashtray and tilted his head up, calmly staring at Dozer.

To Phoenix, Dozer fitted his 'host' perfectly. Dozer came off as a stoner: Gym shorts, drug rug hoodie, a baggy beanie hat where his blonde hair crept out from underneath. His dull, murky blue eyes hung on Phoenix like a tired camel. He had a ew bags under his eyes as if he has slept in a while which was exactly that he didn't do. Dozer came to the Project about two years ago, kidnapped from a family vacation in Greeve as a graduation present. Little did he know he would soon be strapped down to a bed to stabbed with colorful syringes and sliced open by scapels. The first few months, Dozer didn't talk much but if it was anyone it was Phoenix. Phoenix didn't mind it at first, he's seen his fair share of newbies come and go. But the longer Dozer stuck around, the more he annoyed Phoenix. But deep down in the pit of his cold heart he enjoyed his company since if anyone came around, it was Dozer. Sometimes Dozer caught on to leave Phoenix be just by his vibe then there was other times he seem to want to carry a conversation with him. This morning, it was one of those cheerful days.

"What's your plans todays?" He walked around Phoenix's room, eyeing the achievement awards on the wall.

"Just reading." Phoenix's eyes scrolled horizontally, flipping to the next page. "You off today too?" When he glanced up he caught Dozer looking at his Successful Shift award, growing a little numb when Dozer's smile shrank a little. Unlike most, Phoenix was one of the oldest members of the Project where as he almost mastered everything they wanted him to do to this day. Unlike Phoenix, Dozer couldn't perform a perfect, painless shift yet. His stomach turned a little, fighting it off with a mere smile.

"Yeah." He then looked at Phoenix who idly stared him down, his book was now on his stomach.

"Come on." Phoenix folded the corner of his page and clapped the book shut. He stood up and dropped it back on the recliner, taking a long drag then went to gently brush it out to a short. He slipped it behind his ear, "I'm hungry. And If I am, I know you are."