(Sequel) John Laurens X !Mermaid! Reader

°chapter 10: The ice°

The trip that day was tense. Y/N made it her primary goal to utilize her legs to their full capacity. She passed John at least 5 times in the same minute. She didn't really have anywhere to go, she just wanted to show off. The sailors had taken notice of her cockiness but remained silent. Hercules, while steering the ship, noticed her attitude. So just as Y/N hopscotched around, he yelled: "Y/N," 

She looked up and saw Hercules. He was at the steering wheel, looking right at her. "I need you," He said less loud. She glanced at John one last time before hurrying up the stairs to Hercules. 

"Stop acting like a fool," That's how Hercules started the conversation. "Whatever do you mean-" "Y/N," She stopped talking and looked up at Hercules, who had taken his eyes off the course and diverted straight into her soul. 

"Talk to him," Hercules said. "No," Y/N answered calmly. "You took away his legs, the least you can do is talk to him," He insisted. "He fell into the water, I didn't push him," She said less calm. "But you kissed him and now he's part of your life, like it or not," He then said. 

It was easy for Hercules to say that to her; she thought as she kept her mouth shut. Wouldn't he have done the same thing in her place? Surely he would have. She let her eyes travel to the side; they fell onto John. He was leaning against the nearby crate. He didn't look unamused. Bored. He looked bored. 

"Take a flask, talk about the problem you have in common, and get along for once," Hercules said while looking back ahead. "But then I-... nevermind," Y/N said, shaking her head. "Then what?" Hercules asked. "Then I... If we have a problem in common... Then I'll realize that there's a problem and that I caused it," She struggled to put her thoughts into sentences and Hercules noticed her tone change. 

"I'm sick and tired of being the bad guy. I've done so much evil. I helped the Brits, betrayed my friends and now I'm trying to fix everything and I can't even do that right," She took a deep breath in after that. "Y/N, it's good to hold yourself accountable and even better if you want to fix your mistakes; but you can't expect change to happen in a day," Y/N raised her eyebrows to Hercules' comment. 

She knew that it would take time, but why did things not go her way the moment she decided to fix everything? Now that she thought about it like that, it seemed stupid. 

"So what alcohol you got?" Y/N asked with a sigh. "Got some rum in the cabinet bellow," Hercules smiled. "Great," She said, taking a shaky breath in while descending the stairs. "And Y/N," Hercules called. "Progress isn't a straight line," He said, to which she nodded and headed below deck. 

There, in the liquor cabinet, she found a bottle of cheap rum. With two metal cups, she came back and walked toward John. She looked down at her hand and saw it was shaking vigorously. 

The sound of the bottle being set down was enough for John to look up. When Y/N sat down next to him, he didn't say anything. He felt like he didn't have anything to tell her. That was until she tried to break the ice. "The scales not getting any moisture is bad for your tail," She said. "Well then it's good I'm not keeping it," John mumbled, not even sparing her a glance. 

"Well, yeah, but it'll start to scrunch up and hurt if you don't take care of it," She insisted to which John looked at her. "Why are you here?" He asked. "I just... I wanna talk," She said. "I brought drinks," She added, raising the bottle a tiny bit. 

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" John asked in a slightly joking manner which Y/N didn't notice. "What?! No! I would never! I might be a siren but I would never-" "I was joking, Y/N," John said. A bit flustered, Y/N exhaled, staring at the ground. 

"Hand me the bottle," John then said and Y/N complied. A bit hesitant but still purposefully. As soon as John got his hands on the bottle, he tore it away from Y/N, grabbing one of the cups as he did. After he popped the cap off the bottle with his thumb, he poured some of the liquid into his cup. Then he tilted the bottle toward Y/N. When she just started staring at the bottle opening, John said: "Your cup," Suddenly remembering that she had a second cup, she put it into the bottle and some rum was poured in. 

John put the bottle down and stared into space. "To America," He mumbled lifting his glass a bit and taking a sip. "To America," Y/N whispered and took a sip as well.

"So that Joseph guy," John said, spinning the brown liquid in his cup around. "You like him?" He asked. Y/N spit out the little rum she had in her mouth. "What?! Ew! No! Absolutely not! The dude is 40! He's a dad! He has kids! He has a WIFE. I- EW NO. Why would you say that?!" She burst out. He didn't expect that answer at all. It was enough to make him chuckle a bit. 

"It's not funny!" Y/N almost yelled. "Look, it was just a question. Don't freak out," John chuckled and took another sip. Indignantly Y/N looked at her reflection in the glass. 

"Does everyone think Joseph and I are a thing?" 

"No, I'm just paranoid,"  

"You're what?"

"...Nothing, don't worry about it," John said, looking away.