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chapter twenty two BE PRINCE CHARMING
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"Dorota we did it!" Athena exclaimed, walking into her bedroom. After they had found the gold, John B had dropped them all home, him going back to the Chateau to rid himself of the mud before he would come to Tannyhill again. Athena knew that Dorota would be in her bedroom, finishing the last bit of laundry before she goes to bed. Dorota turned to Athena, her eyebrows furrowed as she watched the blonde open her balcony doors, smiling like never before.
"You did what, Miss Athena?" Dorota questioned.
"We found it." Athena stated, now stood in front of her maid.
"The gold?"
"Yep! We know where it is. We found it." Athena's excitement was bursting at the seams, the smile on her face impossibly large.
Athena had told Dorota all about the gold and the treasure hunt as soon as she began hanging out with the pogues regularly. The woman was sworn to secrecy, which Athena knew Dorota would hang on to. Athena couldn't keep much from Dorota as it was. She knew everything about everyone all of the time and Athena trusted the woman so much. The two had been friends long enough to tell each other absolutely everything.
"Well done." Dorota praised.
"We can get out here now." Athena told her with a smile. "We can set our plan in motion. Remember, we'll get away and live on the beach somewhere and you can start the family you've always wanted and I'll look after your kids while also running my charity. It can happen now."
"It can happen now?" Dorota wondered.
"Yeah it can." Athena confirmed. "Do we have room for one more though?"
"Depends. Who?" Dorota asked. Athena turned around, Dorota following her gaze to JJ. The boy was now stood next to Athena's bed after climbing through her window. The boy had been watching the two, a fond yet sad smile on his lips – he was glad the two had such a great bond but wished for one like theirs himself. The smile grew into a happier one every time he glanced at the smiling Cameron. "Yes. But only because he has pretty eyes."
"What do you say, JJ." Athena questioned. "Wanna runaway with us. We can make sure we live near a sea so you can surf every day."
"I don't know..." JJ trailed off, a jokey tone to his words. The boy knew he would say yes, he would say yes to whatever she asked him, one Athena smile could cure all of his woes and make him do anything in the world, but he wanted to see if she'd beg him.
"Come on, J." The nickname paired with the smile made JJ believe he had actually died and was now in heaven. Her next words not helping as butterflies erupted in his stomach. "You always call me Cinderella, be Prince Charming."
"I'm in." JJ agreed without hesitation.
Dorota then nodded, turning to Athena and giving her a hug. The woman left the room, Rose calling her from down the hall. Athena smiled at Dorota before turning back to JJ. The two stepped closer to each other as Athena put a cheeky smile on her lips.
"Think you'll be okay without John B?" She asked the boy.
"Think you'll be okay without Sarah?" JJ retorted quickly.
"They'll be okay with each other, don't you think?" Athena answered. JJ nodded his head in agreement. Athena sighed dreamily. "We're going to be rich. And it's going to be our own money."
"And yet you're still going to give it away." JJ smiled. "You are one of the most selfless people I know."
"So are you." Athena shrugged.
"No, I'm not—" JJ tried to protest.
"JJ, how much do you owe in restitution because you took the fall for Pope?" Athena interrupted with a raised brow. "And that's only one selfless thing you've done. JJ being a good friend and doing everything to protect them despite it never benefiting you is being selfless."
JJ let a shy smile cross his face. "I don't think I've ever been called selfless before."
"Well I just did and I will continue to give you compliments to make up for all the times no one has said anything nice to you." Athena informed him.
The two had somehow, without realising it, subconsciously moved towards each other. The two now stood no less than a foot apart. Athena looked up, making eye contact with the blond, who towered over her.
"So, Prince Charming, huh?" He asked, smirking slightly.
"If you want to be." Athena shrugged, like it was nothing. It wasn't nothing, not to him, not to her either. It was an offhanded comment that meant she could recover if he rejected her – could you imagine JJ ever rejecting Athena freaking Cameron – but she meant it with every part of her being, and he wanted to be Prince Charming so badly, he wanted it more than he had wanted anything in his life.
"I do." JJ stated. "I definitely do."
JJ then leant down, pressing his lips to Athena's. She froze for a moment before quickly reciprocating the action. She kissed him back like the world depended on it. JJ smiled into the kiss. He had been waiting for this moment since the first time he saw her back when they were twelve. Her brown hair cascading down her back as she laughed sitting and helping people on the poorer side of the island without a care in the world, ignoring the ideologies that society was trying to drill into her mind.
He fell in love with her that day without even realising it and all the random hook-ups and kisses with tourons when he felt like something was missing had led up to this moment. Kissing the girl of his dreams, he finally felt complete.
And as for Athena. She was also over the moon. Nothing could prepare her for the overwhelming about of joy she felt. The boy, this boy, JJ Maybank was the guy of her dreams. He may be reckless and poor but she didn't care, he cared for her and protected her and made her feel like she belonged. JJ had slowly, without her realising, became her home and she couldn't be happier about it. He had saved her so many times, even when they didn't know each other, and Athena would love JJ – even if she hadn't realised she did love him just yet – for the rest of her life and in every life they live after that.
JJ Maybank and Athena Cameron.
Prince Charming and Cinderella.
J and Attie.
A match made in heaven. A match that was blessed by the gods from the moment their eyes met. A match that was so beautifully hand crafted by Aphrodite, it was fate that led them to this moment.
JJ had Athena and Athena had JJ. They didn't need anything else anymore.
