Crushed To Love ↬ Gildarts x Reader

chapter ¹¹

He slid down into the water, letting it block out the sounds around him. He wished the tub wasn't as crowded so he could go swimming deep underneath it.

It was a rare occasion for him to enjoy relaxing in a bathhouse with the other guild members.

He listened to the conversations his fellow mages talked about, chuckling and teasing them occasionally. The conversations ranged from various topics to another.

Gildarts closed his eyes feeling himself slightly dose off.

Gray, who noticed this, lightly punched his shoulder, waking him up. He peeped at him with a confused look.

"What is it ?"

"You know, I bumped into Y/N a few days ago and she seemed kind of down... And she usually isn't like this unless you're involved."

He opened his right eye and looked at Gray suspiciously. He stood up from his previous position but still stayed comfortably in the water.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, what are you planning to do with her anyway ?"

"None of your business. What's it to you ?" Gildarts replied, slightly raising his voice.

Everyone had turned their heads towards them upon hearing the S-class's voice.

"I mean, a lot of us were wondering about it." Gray started, awkwardly grinning, "Come on ! We're just laughing... No need to take it so seriously. "

Plan ? He didn't have a plan when it came to you. Should he have prepared one ? He didn't really know how to reply to the question.

He stared at everyone surrounding him from the corner of his eyes.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

Gildarts kept his eyes closed and held a small grin before replying softly, but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Exactly. She's just a kid, so don't take it too seriously."

The moment the words left his lips, he regretted them. He sensed something was wrong.

But before he could retract his words, the voices from the other side interrupted his thoughts.

He turned his head around seemingly trying to hear better what was going on.

They screamed her name. Multiple times.

Telling her to come back, telling her to stay with them. And then he heard them running away trying to find said girl.

He turned his head back around only to find the others staring at him taken aback.

"What the hell, man ?" Laxus shouted at him.

You two were good friends, so it was normal for him to get mad at him for you. He understood that.

Gildarts stood up and walked towards the door. "I-I... I'm going to look for her. Continue on without me."

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He changed into the casual clothes he had brought and left the bath house running.

He looked for you around the area in vain, without much luck.

"Goddammit !" He panicked, sincerely hoping you were okay. "Where is she ?"

"Fuck ! Fuck !" He stopped running, put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

But soon after he continued searching around.

"Y/N ! Y/N !"

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