Mix and match: John Laurens X!Mermaid! Reader

~~Chapter 20: Cold~~

~~A week later~~

Y/N's P.O.V

I was trying to read something Alexander had given me. Lafayette kept his promise and made Alexander teach me how to read and write. As I was reading, I suddenly saw a letter descent from above into my vision. I looked up and saw a caramel toned hand attached to the letter. "You got the letter?" I asked as Lafayette waved Hercules' letter in my face. I closed my book as he opened the letter. He quickly read over it and his face dropped.

"Can you read it?" I asked. He nodded.

"Dear Y/N and Lafayette

I have only one disease that comes to mind.

Hanahaki.

I'm sure you guys can find it in the description in the library. I'm actually convinced that you guys have already found the definition.

It's not a good situation.

There is 1 cure. And it's not exactly easy to get it.

Since it's impossible to remove the disease from your body without killing you, we need to kill it with something that you ingests.  Something that eats it from the inside.

It's dangerous and can potentially kill you if you're not careful. That's why I suggest that you hold on until I arrive with the cure.

I'll be back before spring.

Hold on and stay alive. 

Both of you.

Much love

Hercules Mulligan"

Lafayette sighed. "This is ridiculous," He mumbled and coughed. "We need to wait," I reminded him as he nodded. He sat down beside me and looked outside. "It's snowing," He told me as I looked outside. 

My eyes shone.

"Can I go?!" I asked as I jumped up and down. "Sure, but don't go too far-" He reminded me but I was gone into the snow blizzard.

~~15 minutes later~~

John's P.O.V

"Have you seen Y/N?" Lafayette asked me as I looked up from my book. "Brain loser? No," He answered as he rolled his eyes at me. "How about you, Alexander?" He asked as he sat down on his bed. He rubbed his arms to warm them up a bit. It was winter and everyone was freezing to death since we didn't get more than a thin sail as a blanket. "No," Alexander mumbled, sitting on his bed and reading over Washington's letters as usual. 

"It's snowing hard out there," Lafayette reminded us as I sighed. "Go look for her then," I suggested. "Don't you think I've already done that?" He asked, quickly coughing afterward. "Lafayette, go to the doctor," Alexander shot at Lafayette as he grabbed a clean cloth and put it over his mouth. "I'm not getting sick because of you!" Alexander's statement was lost halfway as it tried to pass the cloth. Lafayette rolled his eyes as Alexander shot a glare at him. 

Still holding the cloth in front of his own mouth, he turned his back to Lafayette. 

Lafayette looked outside the tent. I shivered to keep my body temperature up and turned a page of the book I was reading. "John, can you come along with me to find Y/N?" He asked as he turned to me. "No. My name isn't Dorothy and I don't own red shoes. So I'm not going on a magical adventure on a golden brick road that will potentially kill me in search of some weirdo," I answered and turned a page.

Lafayette rolled his eyes at me. "John, if you come looking for Y/N with me, I'll buy you a blanket," Lafayette offered. "Okay, let me find my red shoes," I agreed as I put my book aside and stood up. "Great," Lafayette huffed.

We grabbed our coats and stepped outside. The snow reached my damn knees. Of course, Lafayette stepped through it like it was grass. Then you had me. Waddling behind him like a penguin trying to find its family.

I even heard Lafayette chuckle for a second. "Whassup?!" I yelled at him. "Nothing," He lied with a smile. We walked a good portion of the camp together and decided to split halfway. "You go left, I'll go right," He suggested as I rolled my eyes and nodded. 

I forced my way through the snow. "That blanket better be fluffy," I huffed rubbing my hands together and blowing hot air on them. "And warm," I added with an annoyed tone. 

I almost collapsed. My fingers and toes were numb. When I tried to move them, I just got a tiny twitch. I was on the verge of turning back when I saw a lonely blue coat sitting in the snow. "Y/N?" I asked myself as I slowly made my way over to her. 

Y/N's P.O.V

SNOW IS AMAZING!

As soon as Lafayette told me that it was snowing, I headed out. Sure it was a bit cold, but this was nothing compared to the Ocean when it was winter. I always swam up where it was warmer and hoped that I didn't freeze. I was half-human. I had human skin and it didn't like the cold. But the cold on land was manageable. 

Suddenly, I felt a hand being draped over my shoulder and weight falling on my back. I pulled back so I saw who fell on me. I brushed their curly hair out of their face and saw John. "John?" I asked and held back a petal coming out of my mouth. I spat it on the ground and stood up. 

His body temperature was so cold, as were his fingers. "John?" I asked as I put his arm over my shoulder and lifted him out of the snow. I sank down a bit as I did. I couldn't walk all the way back to camp with him weighing me down.

I looked around and saw a cave on the foot of a hill. "Better than staying in the snow," I bluffed and walked down the hill with John, unconscious, and being careful not to fall. I stumbled into the cave where the rocky floor soothed my feet. I put John down against the stone wall and kneeled down before him. "John?" I called as I softly hit his cheek. "John?" I repeated gently tapping his cheek. 

I took off my coat and wrapped it around him. I then looked around for dry sticks in the cage and found some a little deeper into the cave. Alexander had always warned me about bears, but I couldn't see any, even when I went a good part into the cave. I put the sticks together and sat on my knees. "Just like Hercules told me," I whispered silently as I made some friction with 2 sticks onto some dry grass in the cave and caused friction which leads to a fire. I sighed in relief and went to get John.

He was somewhat warmer but still very cold. The color on his face was drained. I propped him up and sat next to him, providing him warmth via the fire and my body temperature. Our legs were pressed against each other and let him lean on me. I draped my arm around his neck so I could pull him closer. 

Very slowly, the heath warmed both of us up. I began to feel dizzy but kept myself going so I could keep the fire going so I could keep John going SO HE COULD HELP ME GO BACK TO CAMP.

Because I was lost AF before he found me. 

Slowly, I felt him wake up. My eyes widened as I looked at him. "John!" I sighed in relief. He looked at me for a second and frowned slowly.

"Who?"