AN- Second Tratie fic. These two have taken over my brain!
She's outside her cabin when they find her.
The Demeter kids had grown a garden behind the grass-like building and she's watering the plants and singing them a tune that an Apollo kid had promised would help them grow faster.
"Katie, darling, you're looking absolutely ravishing today," Travis calls.
She looks over her shoulder and groans at the sight of their almost identical mischievous grins.
"What do you want?" she asks, almost scared to know.
"Well, Connor and I have a mission of sorts. And we'd like to borrow your car."
Katie turns around, placing one hand on her hip and raising an eye-brow.
"Chiron is letting you take a car on a quest?"
"Well," Travis admits, "It's not really a Chiron quest. Or, actually, a quest at all. We just need your car."
"You want my car to sneak out of camp? And you won't even tell me why? Not gonna happen, Trav."
"Okay, fine. Come on, Travis, I told you she wouldn't do it," Connor mutters, turning around. "Let's go ask Delilah."
"The Aphrodite girl?" Katie asks suddenly.
"The very one," Connor grins, "She's got it hot for Travis."
As they walk away, Katie finds herself betraying everything she thinks she knows by opening her mouth and shouting after them.
"Fine! But I'm driving!"
So, they somehow manage to sneak over the border without waking the dragon or drawing any attention to themselves. Katie takes them to a rock located a little ways away from the border and places her hand in a certain groove. The rock slides open, revealing a garage of sorts, filled with cars.
"That's all we have to do to get in here?" Connor wonders in amazement.
"You need to actually own a car in here," Katie shatters his thoughts of joyrides before walking to the back of the garage.
Travis snorts as she approaches a car. "That's not a car."
Katie frowns. "Yes it is."
"No. That's a child's toy. Katie, it's a fucking Prius."
Katie bristles. "It's environmentally safe."
"It's power blue," Connor whines.
"Hey, don't knock your only way out of camp. Either you accept my car or you can walk."
"Let's walk," Connor suggests.
Travis smirks and climbs into the passenger seat. Connor and Katie scramble in after him. As soon as she starts the car, Travis starts fiddling with the radio.
"Hey," Katie slaps his hand away, "Don't mess with my radio."
"You know, Katie, you're kind of a bitch about your car," Travis informs her.
She smiles sweetly, "Don't you forget it."
She finds herself sitting on a white plastic chair, people dressed in tattoos wandering around and the screams of pain filling the air. Connor sits down next to her and opens up the magazine clutched in his hand.
"Aw, check it out, Katie. 'Five Sure-Fire Tips to Land the Man of Your Dreams'. You should read this. Might help you out."
"What are you talking about," she hisses.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe your hardcore, totally obvious crush on my brother."
Katie hopes she isn't blushing. "Connor, did you take crazy pills today? You do realize what you're saying right? Me, Katie Gardner, having a crush on Travis Stoll."
"Yes, I know exactly what I'm saying."
"So, then, you obviously know how utterly wrong you are."
Connor grins (and she hates that stupid grin). "See, I would totally be doubting myself right now. Had, of course, you not offered your car, and your company, after I mentioned a certain Aphrodite girl's crush on Travis."
Katie is sure she's blushing now and she just wants to punch that grin right of his stupid face.
"So, you can blush and deny and tell me I'm crazy all you want. But, when it all comes down to it, you were jealous. Because you like him."
Before Katie can get a word in edgewise, Travis walks over to them, grinning broadly.
"Your turn, little bro."
Connor stands up, shoots Katie a raised-eyebrow-all knowing look, high-fives his brother and disappears behind the curtain. Travis takes his un-occupied seat.
"Does it hurt?" Katie asks, glancing at the bandage on his forearm wearily.
Travis shrugs, "Hurt like a bitch when I got it. Kinda burns now."
"What does it say?"
Travis falls silent which confuses Katie because she was sure he'd be bragging about it the second he sat down.
"Trav?"
"Do you even notice when you call me that?" he asks suddenly.
Katie blinks. "No. I-I guess not."
"It's what friends do."
She looks away. "And we aren't?"
"You hate me."
"Not so much." He makes a disbelieving noise. "Not as much anymore."
He smiles. "Huh. And it only took me about five years."
She laughs at this and he grins broadly. Connor comes around the curtain then, shooting them looks.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," they say simultaneously.
"So, we ready to blow this pop stand?" Travis asks, standing up.
A busty brunette comes from behind the curtain, her arm decked out in a sleeve of ink. She glances at Katie.
"You getting one too, hun?"
Connor answers for her. "Are you kidding? Katie wouldn't dare."
The brunette smirks, "I should have figured. How on Earth is she your girlfriend, Travie? I think you need a girl more in tune with your likes."
"She's not my-"
Katie stands up. "I am getting one actually."
Connor and Travis' eyes both widen and the brunette scowls. "Follow me."
Katie starts to, but suddenly turns around, grabs the collar of Travis' shirt, and smashes her lips against his.
"See you when I get out, baby." And she winks before disappearing behind he curtain.
Travis just stands there, probably never going to move again.
They get busted coming back to camp. Thankfully, all tattoos had been covered by clothes so they're able lie to Chiron about where they went. They're forced on cleaning duty tonight of the mess hall.
The split up the work between them and manage to get done before midnight. Sore and tired, they head back to their cabins. Travis surprises Katie by walking her back to hers.
"So. You wanna explain what that was all about earlier?"
"No." Katie says, refusing to look at him.
Travis grabs her arm. "It was for my mom. Our mom. When we were younger and she died, we promised we'd honor her memory someday. Once we both got old enough, we were going to get a tattoo of a heart with her name in it."
"That's sweet, Trav." Katie whispers.
"Again with the nickname."
He hooks his finger under her chin and tips her head up.
"I don't mind."
The he leans down and kisses her. When they pull apart, Katie feels dizzy and happy and giddy and nervous all at once. It's the best feeling she's ever experienced.
"You never did mention where you got your tattoo. Or what it was."
Katie smirks. "It's a flower," then she leans in close to his ear and whispers, "And you wouldn't you like to know where."
Travis groans and smashes their lips together.
Maybe, Katie is able to think before her brain shuts down from the sheer ohmygod-ness of it all, this trip wasn't the worst thing that can happen.
AN- Hope you enjoyed!