A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

Water. Fresh, clean and cool. Each little bead hit deathly white skin and dribbled off in due time. It soaked nearly white hair and created massive suds in the locks, which several minutes ago had been caked with sweat, oil, dirt and whatever else nature had thrown in his way the last couple of days. As he rinsed his hair, all of that washed out and coated the porcelain bottom of the tub before it disappeared down the drain. His eyelids opened, and he watched the movement idly.

It was as though each piece of tiny debris was another second of not having his pink flower, yet he couldn't force himself to rush in the shower. Even after his rest, his limbs felt weak. He even was tempted to sit in the bathtub and just let the water run over his head for awhile. At the same time, guilt was eating away at him; he doubted that (f/n) was having the luxury of a soothing shower. His left hand curled into a fist at the thought, and he pierced his skin before it healed within a few moments of him removing his nails from his hand.

Leaning his head against the wall where the shower head was, he permitted the water to trickle down his bare back in cold streams. His pale, ghost-white lips parted, and a droplet of water fell from his bottom one and against the faucet below. A slight ringing sound hit his ears at the impact, and he closed his eyes again as water dripped down his face and, occasionally, off of the tip of his small hero nose.

Another ring met his ears, and it was as though he could view the ripple of the sound wave in the darkness. It spread further and further until it no longer created that ringing noise. Rather, it morphed into something dreadful: screaming. And, it wasn't any regular cry of agony; no, it was hers. His hands pressed against the wall and clenched. "I'll find you, my partner." His right fingertips scraped against the tiles, hoping for a stronger grip on them, but they only slipped down in the process.

He needed to move; he couldn't let his thoughts chain him down into inaction. The creature pushed himself off of the wall and finished his shower before he stepped out and pushed his hair back. As he walked out, his eyes glanced over to the mirror, and he seemed like a ghost of his former self. A bitter chuckle left him. Despite that, he probably looked more terrifying than he usually was.

The dark bags still under his eyes, the way his body had clung to his bones more as well as his hunched over posture all equated to him appearing as though he were a rabid monster out of the snow. It was a relief that (f/n) wasn't around to see him like he was presently. Then again, she might be more willing to open up to him, but he didn't wish to gain her feelings through pity. He desired for her to love him on her own time even if that never happened. Again, he just would be happy to have her back with him.

Letting his hair fall around his face, he opened one of the drawers in the bathroom vanity and removed a pair of scissors. The metal of the blades gleamed in the artificial light, and he momentarily pictured stabbing them through Callest over and over again until he was nothing but a pile of bloodied mush. A smirk touched his lips at the thought before his lips fell into a tired frown. First, he had to find them.

Bringing the scissors up, he figured that he would get his looks to how they used to be. Maybe, he wouldn't be giggling or grinning as much, but he could at least seem like he cared about his well-being. And, he would begin eating normally again since it would be different now. He had more help, and he wouldn't spend another two months searching for his partner.

After a few snips here and there, his hair was back to how it used be. His hair no longer was matted or caked in grime. It was clean and soft. And when he recovered (f/n), he would make sure that she was pampered with the same luxuries. The fact that she betrayed him remained, but all of the blame didn't fall on her; he was just as responsible.

Picking up the strands of hair, he tossed them in the trash and wrapped one of the plush towels around his waist since he didn't know where his duffel bag was at. He stepped out into the bedroom and tried to ignore how it seemed so empty without her in it. The creature forced a neutral expression onto his lips and scanned over the room a little bit more until he noted new items in the area. On her desk, her laptop was turned on and ready to be used. At the end of the bed, there were clean clothes laid out for him along with a note.

His thoughts must've distracted him so much that he hadn't even heard one of them enter the room. He didn't care which one of them it had been. It only made him realize how much he had let himself go. How was he supposed to retrieve (f/n) if he couldn't even hear someone several feet from him? But, he wouldn't allow that to happen again; he'd make sure that his senses returned to their prior sharpness.

Moving over to the note, he lifted it up and read the handwriting. The laptop is all set for you. After you've eaten, though, come out into the kitchen and tell us what you know like we said before; tell us what we can do to find our daughter quicker. Before that, your clothes are being washed. In the meantime, you'll have to wear some of mine. They probably are too big, but I gave you a belt to help. Don't take too long.

Placing the note aside, he examined the clothes. A navy blue flannel button-up and brown pants were lying on the bed for him. Alongside them was a black belt. The clothes certainly did look too large, but he doubted that her parents would appreciate him walking around in a towel. (F/n) might've gotten embarrassed, though, and that brought a tiny smile back to his lips.

Once he had the baggy clothes on and tightened the belt to hold the pants up, he stepped over to the freezer and peered inside. Containers of various organs awaited him, and he decided to pull out two since he hadn't eaten for awhile; however, he didn't wish to keep her parents waiting. They were being patient enough with him even though they didn't have to. And, they weren't providing him with so much out of the kindness of their hearts; they simply wanted their daughter back, and he was the only one who could take on another of his kind. Her parents desired his strength to be back so that he would win, and he understood that loud and clear.

Swiftly, he ate the two livers before he set the dirty containers in the bathroom sink. He would clean them up like before; he wouldn't have her parents wash his dishes. With his stomach fuller than it had been in awhile, he parted from the room and noted that her parents were sitting at the kitchen table. They weren't talking, and there was a heavy atmosphere all around. No pleasantries were to be exchanged; they wished for the facts and nothing more.

Taking his seat at the right end of the table, he glanced between them both as they locked their gazes with his. Without another moment of hesitation, he mentioned, "We have to search any abandoned and forgotten locations that can't be compromised easily." Both of her parents raised a brow as though they were in disbelief at how little information he had. "I know that it's not a lot to go on, but it's somewhere. And, that's why I need the internet. Instead of blindly investigating places, I can see if there have been hints in the area as to whether or not Callest might be there."

"And, Callest is this other creature?" The creature nodded to (d/n)'s question. "Do you know anything more about him? A place where he likely would go over another one?"

"No," the creature responded, sighing afterwards. If he had that kind of information, he probably would've found her already, but he held his tongue. "I only know him from a letter and his actions back in the town we had been in. I searched that place thoroughly and the area around it, but there had been no tracks or signs to give him away. He had ..." He pushed back some of his hair. "He had knocked me out cold, and I had been out far too long. He had too much time on his hands."

"Then, it really is an unreasonable amount of possibilities." (M/n) combed her fingers through her (h/c) hair and rested her elbows on the kitchen table. "Do you remember, though, everywhere you already visited? Can you make a list and give it to us so that we know?"

"I remember most of them. Some are a little unclear now, but I'll write down as many as I can remember. From there, I can identify any other places through a picture. I'll make the list before I begin researching, and I'll turn the news on for any developments that might lead to something." The creature went to stand, but her father motioned him to remain seated. Confused, the creature sat back down and wondered what else there was to discuss. They needed to find her, and they desired him to create that list speedily.

"It's been bothering us." Her father intertwined his fingers together and squeezed them from worry. "How are you so certain that she's not dead?" The creature didn't reply immediately. "We don't want to think of that option, but it seems ..."

"Likely," the creature finished, and the human male nodded reluctantly. "I know because that's not Callest's objective. He wants to ..." Both of her parents waited, and he didn't wish to tell them the information, but they would keep asking until he did. And the longer he waited, the more precious time he would consume. "He wants to make her suffer, punish her. I don't know why exactly, but he thinks that she deserves cruel treatment." The creature observed their expressions, but they were hard to read, especially since neither one of them was speaking. "It might be because of what happened in the tunnels and her announcement of my species' weakness, but I'm not sure. That's just one theory, but it's plausible since her sharing such information might've kicked him out of his home, like it did with me." Neither of them answered, but her father pushed back his chair and stood up.