You wandered through the factory corridors, your footsteps echoing softly against the concrete floors. The usual hum of machinery and distant chatter of workers provided a backdrop to your search. Passing through the administrative offices and production floors yielded no sign of Dr. Darling.

Pushing open heavy doors and peeking into familiar meeting rooms, you checked each office meticulously. The air smelled faintly of metal and machinery oil, mingled with the scent of freshly printed documents. Despite searching for Dr. Darling tirelessly, there was no trace of him.

It was raining, and evry AC was still left on, so it was pretty cold.

After combing through the administrative areas, you ventured into the production sections, where the rhythmic clang of machines filled the air. You navigated through rows of equipment, checking behind towering stacks of crates and around the corners of conveyor belts. Yet, Dr. Darling was nowhere to be found.

Where was he?

With growing concern, you retraced your steps back to the main lobby. Employees bustled past, focused on their tasks, unaware of your search. Pacing near the entrance, you pondered your next move, wondering where he could have disappeared to in the labyrinthine factory.

You had been searching for Walden throughout the factory, your footsteps echoing against the cold concrete floors. Every room and corridor seemed void of life, --other than the other workers who looked confused as you burst through the door, frustration on your face and grunting a curse word-- the only sound being the distant hum of machinery and the occasional drip of water. Frustration mounted with each empty room you checked.

Then, just as you were about to give up hope, one of the exits swung open with a creak.

The man you've been trying to find all hours long, Walden Darling walked in, his normally immaculate appearance marred by rain-soaked clothes clinging to his frame. Water dripped from his hair and pooled around his feet as he stepped inside and with an audacity, calmly and nonchalantly closed the door behind him.

You walked towards him, "Walden-! " then slapped yourself for calling him by his first name, said man wincing at the impact as your hand met your own face "Sir Darling! What happened? You're soaked!"

He offered a shrug, brushing a wet strand of hair from his forehead. "It's just rain," he replied nonchalantly. "My metabolism can handle it."

You frowned, still that doesn't change the fact that he's been gone for a few hours already. "You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold," you insisted, scanning his face for any signs of discomfort or illness.

He nodded. "I'll change once I've checked on a few things," he wringed his hair off water

Relieved to see him relatively unharmed, you nodded. "Just... be careful out there," you murmured, frustration seeping into your voice

Darling gave a nod before turning away to attend to his tasks, still sopping wet

------

You had lost track of how many times Dr Darling had walked in, soaked to the bone from the relentless rain. Each time, he entered with the same nonchalant demeanor, as if it were just another routine of the day. It baffled you why he seems so eager to always come in the building without an umbrella to be consistently drenched.

One particularly stormy evening, you were deep in thought after leaving an office that has test tubes and a hot cup of coffee when you heard the familiar creak of the door. Without needing to look up, you knew it was That man. Sure enough, when you glanced over, there he was, water dripping from his hair and clothes, forming a small puddle beneath him.

"You're soaked again," you couldn't help but remark, frustration and utter deadpan lacing your words as you watched him wring out his coat.

He scoffed under his breath, a hint of hidden amusement in his eyes despite the dreariness of his appearance. "Seems like I have a knack for catching the worst of the weather," he replied casually, moving to hang his coat on a nearby hook.

"But seriously, sir," you insisted, getting up to fetch a towel from the supply closet. "You should take better care. You'll catch a cold at this rate."

He rolled his eyes, and accepted the towel with a nod, drying his hair before draping the towel over his shoulder. "That is a myth and again, My metabolism can handle it," flashing a brief sarcastic smile. "Besides, there's work to be done."

You sighed, "I know it's a myth about getting sick in the rain, I meant about being constantly wet and coming in the building that has a heavy ton of sir conditioning" you deadpanned and gave up internally, knowing it was futile to argue with him about the situation. Instead, you handed him your steaming cup of coffee you had prepared earlier to warm the man up.

As Darling took a sip, you couldn't help but want to roll your eyes, even if it meant enduring the harsh glare without complaint. His actions often puzzled you.

"Appreciated," he said quietly, catching your gaze with a nod

You nodded back, "Anytime, sir Darling."

You both returned to your respective tasks, the sound of rain pattering against the windows a soothing backdrop to the quiet diligence that filled the room

----

The next day, you found yourself searching for Dr. Walden-Darling-who was nowhere to be found. At first, you assumed he was somewhere in the factory, perhaps engrossed in one of his many tasks. However, as the minutes ticked by and he didn't appear at his usual time to enter the building, a sense of unease began to creep over you.

You glanced at the untouched cup of coffee you had prepared for him, now cold and abandoned on the desk. It was unlike Dr Darling to deviate from his routine, and the stillness in the air only heightened your concern.

Determined to find him, you left his office and started asking around. The factory's vast halls echoed with the hum of machinery and the chatter of employees, but none of them had seen the man.

"Have you seen Dr. Darling?" you inquired, approaching one of the senior staff members.

They shook their head, a frown of worry mirroring your own. "No, I haven't. It's strange; he usually checks in by now."

Your concern deepened with each person you asked, all of them giving similar responses. Walden's absence was becoming increasingly alarming.

Returning to his office, you stood by the desk, staring at the cold coffee, your mind racing with possibilities. Where could he be? Was he in trouble? The factory felt unusually quiet without his presence, the weight of his absence pressing down on you.

His consistent reliability made his sudden disappearance all the more alarming. Frustration gnawed at you as you considered raising a general alarm. Just as you were about to contact everyone in the building, your eyes drifted to your work email.

One new message from Walden.

You almost slipped and stumbled as you sprinted to your desk and clicked it open and stared at the screen. The email contained only two words:

Walden Darling

I'm bilious.

Frustration mingled within you, and without thinking, you slammed your head into your desk. The sharp thud echoed your exasperation, and you groaned inwardly.

"Of all the times," you muttered, rubbing your forehead. "I told him he's gonna get sick"

Taking a deep breath, you stood up, smugness replacing your initial panic. You were right.
You were sure it's because of him being consistently drenched If Walden was sick, you needed to see him.

You quickly typed a response, letting him know you were coming over if he needed anything. Almost immediately, a reply came back:

Walden Darling

I'll be coming, need anything sir?

No need, but maybe some medicine.

You rolled your eyes at his stubbornness but decided to comply. The rest of your day was a blur of tasks and responsibilities, but your mind kept drifting back to him.

By the end of your shift, you were the last one in the building. After locking up, you made a quick stop at the pharmacy for some medicine before heading to the Darling house, or mansion. The night was cool and quiet, the rain from earlier leaving the streets glistening under the streetlights.

A/N

Sorry I wasn't able to upload sooner, was stuck  in a road trip lol