chapter six
us against the universe

JJ and Athena laid in the tank, both staring up at the ceiling as the bends slowly washed away. Athena's eyes fluttered closed as she let out a small breath, trying to digest what they had been through. She could tell JJ was trying to comprehend it as well, a weird tension settling between them that made her kind of uneasy.

"I definitely jinxed us." Athena commented, trying to make a joke to ease the tension.

"Attie... you nearly died." JJ stated, a sigh falling from his lips. "I never should have let you go down there."

"Then who would have saved you?" Athena retorted. "Plus I didn't give you much true."

JJ nodded, "You didn't, that's very true."

"Also if I wasn't there he would have gotten you too." Athena reminded him. "Not to take all the credit but I think I saved the day actually."

"Alright, I saved you too." JJ responded, a small laugh leaving him.

"You did." Athena smiled, turning to look at him. "You always save me."

"Thank God." JJ breathed out, pulling her closer to him, her head resting on his chest.

Athena paused for a moment before gazing up at him, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you for always saving me."

"I'd do anything for you." JJ replied without hesitation. "I'd do everything do you. I've felt that way since we were twelve. You could just look at me, even glare at me and I'd still do whatever you said."

"Whipped." Athena coughed, laughing slightly.

"The best men in the world are." JJ nodded, a smug smile on his face as he repeated words Athena had said to him before. "A wise girl once told me that."

"She must be very smart." Athena commented.

"And pretty." JJ agreed. "Very beautiful, and smart and just incredible."

"Well, I must meet her if she's got my boyfriend so hooked." Athena responded, raising her eyebrows. "You talking to other women, Maybank?"

"Only you, Cinderella." JJ told her, shaking his head. "Only for, forever."

"Good." Athena smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"If it means anything, I'd do everything for you too." Athena admitted shyly, her nose scrunching up.

"It means everything." JJ pressed a kiss to the top of her head, before he leant back.

"I guess it is just us against the world, huh?" Athena spoke up after a moment.

"Us against the universe more like." JJ corrected. "And we're winning."

"Are we?" Athena questioned, sending him a look. "Doesn't feel like it."

"We're winning." JJ nodded. "You're not bad for a kook, though."

Athena scoffed, elbowing him slightly. "I suppose you're not too bad... for a pogue."

"Yeah, okay." JJ laughed before he fell into silence once more. "Who was the first pogue you were friends with?"

"JB unfortunately." Athena answered.

"Really?"

Athena hummed, thinking. "I met Kie freshman year, Pope for tutoring, you... I don't actually remember our first meeting but before all that I met JB."

"How?" JJ wondered.

"He worked with my dad from a young age and I saw him around. One day I went to the shop and saw you and him stealing stuff. You ran off but he got caught... I covered for him." Athena explained with a shrug. "He thanked me, we spoke for like three minutes before he had to leave and then we were friendly around the house and when I was thirteen he saved me from Samuel."

"John B did?" JJ questioned.

Athena nodded.

"Our John B?"

"Yes, our John B." Athena rolled her eyes with a soft laugh.

"No wonder he's so protective of you." JJ commented. "He threatened to castrate me and drown me in the water if I ever hurt you. And I'm his best friend."

"That was nice of him." Athena smiled. "Me and JB, bros for life."

JJ laughed for a moment before it dropped. "I can't believe you don't remember our first meeting."

"I don't know, you've always been around so it's like I've known you forever." Athena defended herself.

"I remember it like it was yesterday." JJ informed her.

"Okay, tell me."

"We were like fourteen and you were working with Heyward and I was casually walking by when I saw you—" JJ began to explain.

"Casually walking by?" Athena teased.

"Shush." JJ nudged her jokingly. "And when I saw you I stopped to admire, and I tripped on the dock and fell into the water."

"I remember this." Athena interrupted him with a gasp.

"You heard the commotion and as I was climbing out of the water, you were running over to see if I was hurt." JJ continued his story. "I was in shock because my crush of two years was finally talking to me and to make it worse—"

"I knew your name." Athena laughed softly. "Me and Kie were had like just met and she had told me about you."

"You gave me a towel, assessed me for injuries and then with a soft smile that made me want to die inside, you told me to have a nice day and turned and went back to work." JJ finished the memory, a soft smile on his face. "I stared at you for like five minutes before Pope came down the dock to ask me why I was soaking wet."

"I remember." Athena nodded. "I remember thinking, how is this the same JJ that Kie has told me all these stories about. This blushing mess of a boy, who couldn't form a single sentence without stuttering, he couldn't possibly be the reckless, stealing, idiot guy from Kie's stories."

"I was." JJ sighed. "I'm just different with you."

"Kind of." Athena corrected. "But I love you no matter what."

"When did you first start feeling different with me?" JJ asked her.

"This is deep." Athena joked, trying to lighten the mood before sighing and answering the question. "Looking back, I think the first time I properly noticed you was when we were fifteen and I was hanging out with Kelce and Topper and the other gross kooks and Topper pushed me so I dropped one of my books right as you were walking by."

"What a dick." JJ commented. "I don't remember this... which is weird cause I remember all of our interactions."

"It was only brief." Athena shrugged. "You steadied me, looking over my head at Topper and said 'that's no way to treat a lady' before you picked up my book, handed it to me, winked, bowed ever so slightly and said 'have a lovely day miss Cameron' and ran off."

"You thought of me differently after that?" JJ was in slight shock.

"Yeah." Athena nodded. "You took the time out of your day to make a snarky comment to Topper and help me and there was just something, some familiarity to you that made me want to be closer, that forced me to think that you weren't like how everyone said you were. I don't know how to explain it."

"That's fate, baby." JJ whispered, kissing her forehead.

Athena laughed softly. "You wanna know when I really started to think about you though?"

"When?"

"The night you walked me home from the boneyard party." Athena answered easily. "You were nice to me, and kind, and charming, and funny, and despite you still hating Kooks, there was some part of me that thought I could an exception."

"You are the exception." JJ stated.

"What about Sarah?" Athena wondered.

"Okay, she's the exception, you are full Pogue, always have been. It's mainly a mindset." JJ corrected himself.

"You could have let me go by myself that night or tried to kiss me or something, or walked in complete silence but you were a gentlemen and you asked questions and you got to know me in a way that no other person had in my entire life." Athena explained, a look flashing across her face. "It opened my eyes to everything I had been pretending was fine with my life and then when you told me to be careful when Kie and I were distracting the guy so you could steal the drone, I wanted to die inside because at that point, other than my family, I didn't think anyone wanted me to live."

"I've always wanted you to live." JJ reassured her. "Forever and always. Paper rings."

"I know." Athena nodded. "I know that now, and I know that lots of people want me alive now but back then shit was crazy and you cared so effortlessly that you're easy to fall in love with, and boy did I fall deep."

"Corny." JJ commented but the smile on his face was wide and a blush was covering his cheeks. "You're easy to fall for too, y'know. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Right back at ya." Athena giggled before leaning up to press her lips against his.

Athena Cameron never believed this would be her life. If you had told her four years ago that she'd be here, living with the pogues, dating JJ and fully intending to spend the rest of her life with him, Sage back on Outer Banks, her dad dead and not being able to contact Wheezie, she probably would have laughed in your face.

But here was she.

And to be honest, she wouldn't trade it for the world.

Yeah she had been through shit and lots and lots of trauma, but she was okay, and they were going to be okay, all of them.

Because that girl four years ago, didn't want to be on the earth anymore, she wanted to disappear into a cloud because everything hurt and she hated her life. But now, gosh Athena wanted nothing more than to live. Live with her friends, her family, her boyfriend, live and experience all of the moment she missed out on when she was sad and lonely, live each and every day because for once in her life Athena wasn't alone, she belonged somewhere, people wanted her alive, wanted her to live because they loved her.

And she loved them. She would always love them.

Especially JJ.

He was the love of her life, her soulmate, and she would do anything to keep it that way, for as long as she possibly could.

JJ felt the exact same about Athena. He was never as sad as her in his life but he did have his troubles and she made it so much easier to deal with. She was everything to him and always would be. Sometimes being with her felt like a dream to him and he was so scared that one day he would wake up and she wouldn't be there anymore, that it would be summer three years ago and none of this would have happened so he was utilising the time he had with her.

Athena Cameron was JJ Maybank's soulmate, no questions asked. He would go to the ends of the earth for the blonde. They were one of the greatest love stories ever written in his mind and he was going to marry her one day and have kids with her and be the kind of couple that everyone disgusted but loved and wanted to be when they grew up. They were going to be the cool parents that every kid wanted and the best aunt and uncle to any of the other Pogue's kids.

They were going to break the cycle. Together. The way it should be because they loved each other more than anything else in the world.

And love conquered all.

Athena pulled away from the kiss, smiling up at JJ who had a dazed look on his face. "You know we're in here for twelve hours."

"Hmm."

"We have to find a way to pass the time." Athena smirked slightly.

"Yeah." JJ nodded, his own smirk spreading across his face. "What do ya wanna do?"

Athena thought for a moment before she leant up once again, getting close enough to him that their lips brushed each other's but didn't connect. "Sing Taylor Swift and talk about murder mysteries?"

Athena couldn't help the smile that broke out across her face at the look on JJ's. He gaped at her as she pulled away laughing. "You suck."

"I do not." Athena shook her head. "I wanna sing Taylor Swift."

"Tease." JJ commented, pulling her closer and connecting their lips once more.

"Hmm, one second." Athena pulled away, placing her pillow up against the little window that saw into the tank. "Now we can continue."

"Good thinking." JJ stated.

"Well I am pretty incredible." Athena shrugged.

"Hell yeah you are." JJ nodded, kissing her again. "My beautiful, incredible, best girlfriend in the world."

"Flattery will get you nowhere Mr Maybank." Athena shook her head as JJ kissed her neck, shifting slightly so he was on top of her.

JJ smirked once more, hovering over her. "It got me here."

"I hate you." Athena commented.

"No you don't." JJ shook his head.

"No, I don't." Athena sighed.

"I don't either." JJ smiled, giving in and leaning down to connect their lips once again.

Athena's arms moved to wrap around his neck, her hands sliding into his hair as he groaned. "You better."

( 💌 ) isobels notes
just jathena being the cutest ever
john b and athena 4 life
i hate the gif please ignore 😊