Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Rick owns all!
Travis Stoll had a problem.
And it was currently walking the earth in the form of Katie Gardiner.
Alright, so he has to admit it's not Katie that's the problem. In fact when he really thinks about it- which he didn't like to do- the problem was that he seemed to be completley in love with her.
Well, he thought it was love. Why else would he be able to spend hours at a time just staring at the strawberry fields, or ahem, a certain daughter of Demeter in the strawberry fields. Or be able to prank the Demeter cabin over and over just so she'll notice him, just so she'll look at him.
Even if while she looks at him she's yelling at him for putting chocolate easter bunnies on the roof again.
So yes, Travis Stoll, famous Camp Half-Blood ladies man since they were 12, had fallen hard for a daughter of Demeter who - he shuddered to even think the words- was kind. And polite. And caring.
How had that happened?
They were complete opposites, and yet, it seemed to work with them. Travis thought kids were annoying, Katie loved them. Travis loved to have fun and make people laugh, Katie was more serious and down to earth. (No pun intended)
So when Travis heard the now familiar yell of "STOLL'S!" come from the Demeter cabin he immediatley looked over to Connor, nodded and jumped up from laying on the bench at the dining pavilion and ran.
Katie could run fast when she wanted to. In just 5 minutes she had caught up to them beside the Hera cabin. Her face had a slight blush from running and her chest was heaving slightly but she still looked angry. Dressed in a green 'Save the Earth' t-shirt, jean shorts, hair up in a ponytail and sandals she looked good. Really good. Hot, but angry.
Travis could deal with that.
What he couldn't deal with was the way whenever she opened her mouth her lips distracted him. How her eyes always had that kind sparkle in them- even if she was yelling at you. She always smelled good- like wildflowers. How no matter what the Stolls did to annoy her, she never once said she hated them. Annoying for sure, but never that she hated them.
It's the reason that Travis hadn't just given up on her like his other crushes. She didn't hate him, so it left a slim chance that she actually liked him.
She was the most infuriating person that he had ever met, and he just couldn't seem to work up the courage to tell her that she was always on his mind.
"Travis," she seethed, and granted this was the angriest he had ever seen her. "Why is my cabin different colors? No wait. Tell me why my cabin looks like a 5-year old built it out of puzzle pieces?"
This prank was one of the best that Travis felt he and his brother had ever done. Since the Demeter cabin had a grass roof, and walls covered in tomato vines and grass, it was very easy to spray-paint. Almost a little too easy.
So what did he and Connor do? They take tons of different colored spray paints and make the Demeter cabin look like a giant jigsaw puzzle of course. The roof was blue, and red, the walls green and yellow, and just to change it up a little the front and back doors were purple and the windows were orange.
Katie was right, it did look like a 5 year old did it.
"Travis! Don't just stand there looking at it! Why does it look like that?" Katie didn't sound so angry anymore. In fact she sounded more... weary. The younger kids were coming out of their cabins to see what all of the yelling was about and they were standing laughing at the cabin. The older counselors were standing in little groups and were visibly looking at the Stolls and Katie.
Katie looked at them all sadly. Now the Demeter cabin would be made a fool of- again, and it would be up to her to fix it. It was always up to her. Why couldn't Travis and Connor just leave them alone? This had to be the 5th prank this month and it was only 3/4 over.
Connor was looking back and forth between Katie- who suddenly looked like she needed a hug- and Travis who was staring at all of the kids who were making fun of the Demeter cabin in shock.
Slowly he crept away from them and walked back to cabin 4 and the crowd around it. "Alright people break it up! We've all gotta clean this baby until it's back to normal alright? Someone wake Percy up, we're gonna need a lot of water."
No one, especially not the head counselors who had been trying for years, knew how Connor got everyone to listen to him and start working with almost no resistence. Maybe it was because Connor was trying to help for once, even if it was only for his brothers sake. It left everyone wondering how all of them got stuck with cleaning something that Travis and Connor were responsible for.
Katie looked back at Travis. "You never did answer me you know."
Travis shook his head, trying to focus on what Katie said, not Katie herself. "What?"
"I know it was you and Connor. Gods it's always you and Connor." she stepped closer to him. "Can you just tell me why it's always the Demeter cabin? Why it's always me?"
Travis cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ummm... your reactions are the best?" It came out sounding more like a question then an answer.
Katie frowned. "Oh." she sighed. Suddenly she looked up at him. "Gods Travis you're infuriating."
He met her eyes, finally, surprised at the sudden change in conversation. "Me, infuriating?"
She stepped forwards so that they were almost nose to nose and she had to look slightly up to stare him in the eyes. "Yes you. Why can't you just leave my cabin alone huh? It's not fair to the little kids that you prank all of us just because I react the worst out of everyone at camp. If that's the only reason you prank us then I want you to stop."
Travis looked at her in surprise. "Katie... it was just one little prank."
She shook her head. "No Travis it's not just this prank. If the only reason you prank us is because I yell at you more then anyone else then I want you to stop. Just leave m- us, alone."
"You're putting a pranking ban on the Demeter Cabin?" Travis asked. Oh shit Connor wouldn't like this. Actually Travis didn't like it either. How else would Katie notice him, nevermind talk to him?
"Yes. I've known you since I came to Camp when I was 10. 7 years is a long time, and in the last 3 you've pranked Demeter more than any other cabin. Why?" for a second Travis could swear he saw her eyes get a little misty, but then she blinked and it was gone.
This was it. The perfect time to tell her how he felt. Just as he opened his mouth he stopped. What if she rejected him? Or worse thought he was kidding. What if she was so angry right now that she turned him down. He shook his head. He couldn't tell her now. Not when she was sad and angry.
"Like I said, your reactions are the best." His voice sounded pathetically weak to himself. Like someone trying to sound off hand but failing miserably.
Katie stepped back like he had just punched her. Her arms wrapped around herself and her face pinched when she closed her eyes like she was trying to keep an emotion at bay.
Travis felt terrible. Why was he doing this?
Katie took another step back. "Alright Travis. From now on I won't react to your pranks at all. I'll never even speak to you again, alright? Just leave my cabin alone." She turned away, about to go help everyone clean her cabin but Travis caught her arm.
He didn't even know what he was going to say but as soon as he started speaking the words poured out. "No! Katie don't do that. I couldn't stand it if- if you never-." He shook his head again. "You can't. If you never talked to me again, I don't think I could stand it. Katie I've known you for 7 years now,"
"That's what I just said." she muttered, but she was listening to him. Hanging onto his every word like they were a life preserver and she was stranded in the sea.
He carried on as if she hadn't spoken. "I've known you for 7 years now and I think I owe it for our friendship to tell you this. Katie Gardiner I love you. I love the way you can spend hours and hours in the strawberry fields, and how you sing when you think no one is listening. How you can be so nice to everyone and never ask for anything else in return. Katie you're everything I need. The only reason I prank you so much is because that way you'll pay attention to me, and actually talk to me. I understand if you want to kill me on a daily basis but I just wanted to tell you that. And I understand if you don't feel the same way about me. Ever since the Battle of the Labyrinth when I saw you helping everyone... it's amazing what you do. Everything you do is amazing. You're amazing. And I love you."
Katie's hand fell limp to her side, her mouth and eyes were open in shock but she was smiling. "Travis-"
"If Connor told you before now I'll kill him-"
"Travis-"
"Because if you feel guilty or anything like that-"
"Travis-'
"And I don't want you to feel any pressure-"
"Travis! I like you too. I may even be in love with you."
He stopped talking midsentence and focused his gaze on her once again.
"What?"
She blushed faintly, but was still smiling. "I love you too."
He looked surprised. "You do?"
"Well ya, I mean, that's what I just said right?"
Suddenly he smiled and as if struck by a sudden thought he leaned in and kissed her. When they pulled away for air they were both smiling at each other.
"I guess that makes you my girlfriend now." Travis said.
She smiled up at him. "I guess this makes you my boyfriend."
He returned her smile and laughed when he saw her eyes sparkle. "Got that right Gardiner."
"Really Stoll? Last names already?"
"Hey! You just used my last name!" he cried.
She threw her arms up in exasperation. "You so missed the point."
"I didn't know you were trying to make one."
"Ugh Travis! You're so-"
"What?" he asked her and he was smiling knowingly at her. "Amazingly gorgeous, funny, awesome and-"
"I was going to say annoying." she cut in. When his expression faltered she leaned in. "But those work too."
They both smiled before their lips met and when the trail of campers came back from the beach with water they saw Travis and Katie hand in hand walking towards them, and they all smiled.
Yes, Travis had a problem, and yes, it was Katie Gardiner.
But who said all problems had to be bad?
oooOOOooo
Yay Tratie! I'm going through a Tratie obsession and what better way to announce that then by writing a fanfic about them. Sorry if the characters are OOC I tried my best guys. Reviews are appreciated- they do keep me writing after all and thanks to all of my followers!
Love you all!
Percyjacksonfan3
