Background information: Katie and Travis are attending Silena and Beckendorf's wedding. I know they are supposed to be dead, so this is kind of AU for that reason, but they were the couple that fit the bill for the wedding and really think they would have been the first to get married. Of course, Travis said some things and Katie over reacted.
Anyway, it's a cute story and was fun to write. Inspired by the song, Kiss Me Slowly, by Parachute. Look it up.
Enjoy!
Katie made her way into the grand ballroom of a five-star hotel in downtown New York. Her long blue gown trailed on the ground behind her as she raced through the doors. Katie told Annabeth they would meet up at three thirty and Katie was ten minutes late. Frantically she looked around for the blonde head full of bouncing curls that belonged to her friend. Reaching up on her toes she spotted her friend in the third row or chairs from the altar. Hastily, Katie made her way through the socializing groups of people to Annabeth.
"Wow," Katie said, sliding into the seat next to her friend. "Silena's really out done herself, hasn't she?"
"Hey Katie, glad you could show up." Annabeth said sarcastically.
"It's Saturday. There was traffic." Katie snipped. Annabeth stared at her friend. Her talents for reading faces told her something was going on. She guessed it was a relationship issue, which would also explain why she was so late.
"I know I'm going to regret asking, but why didn't you come with Travis?"
Katie just rolled her head the side and shook it. She wasn't in the mood.
"I really do not want to talk about it right now." Katie told her. "Let's sit here, cry, clap, go eat, drink, dance, we will get through this night alright. It's a wedding, we are celebrating and I don't want to think about it."
"Alright," the blonde girl mumbled skeptically. She looked back over her shoulder. "Well I hope you don't mind looking at it because here he comes."
Katie didn't turn. She didn't dare look for him. But, of course, it was inevitable. He made his way through the hall with the rest of the men. Katie had to admit they all looked very dapper in their tuxes. All were strong and handsome. Travis stood second from the smiling groom, Beckendorf. His half-brother Jake Mason stood between the two. Katie had to stifle a laugh. Jake had a crush on her growing up and was always fighting for her attention against Travis. Katie and Jake had gone to the fireworks together once and dated more a few months after that but the relationship became awkward and was not going anywhere so Katie had to cut it off. She wondered if it was awkward for the two, being together for an occasion like this. They had never been on good terms.
Katie's mind was thrown off track when she heard her neighbor giggling giddily. Annabeth blushed a deep red when Katie turned to face her. She was staring at her own boyfriend, the one and only, Percy Jackson, who stood on the other side of Travis. The two were having a silent conversation through the rows of people via hand gestures and head nods. Katie didn't intrude. She people watched the rest of the guests gathered in the luxurious room. Some she recognized from camp others she assumed to be family friends. All were smiling brightly and excited to get the show on the road. Katie felt eyes on her and mistakenly turned to meet the icy blue ones she had forgotten to be avoiding.
His lightly bronzed hair had been trimmed sometime in the last 24 hours. It was shorter than it was the last time she saw him. No doubt Silena had brought in hairdressers for the event. Nothing was ever too much for her. The tux he wore fit a little snug to show off his fit body but what really finished the look was his smile. His famous mischievous smile, which could light up a room and make girls weak at the knees, was present for only a moment. Travis gave Katie a wink out of his right eye. Usually the move would make her giggle and become self-conscious but now she shook her head and returned him a sad smile. His glowing smile disappeared immediately. The couple had gotten very good at being able to read each other's faces. They connected on a different level. One look and Travis knew he was in trouble.
The ceremony was beautiful, though Travis barely paid any attention to it. He clapped at the end, whistled through the kiss, but the entire time he thought of Katie. What if it was them getting married? Katie was nothing like Silena. She wouldn't go for the two-hundred people watching her. There would probably be more flowers, less sparkle. They wouldn't have it in the city. Some place outside. On a hill or in the mountains where they could be under the trees, and the wind would come ruffle her curly hair as she stood in front of him. The two would whisper their vows to each other and the sun would seem from behind a passing cloud, blinding the guests. They would be sad because, of course, it came out as they kissed but the couple wouldn't be angry. It would be a private moment that very few saw. An intimate moment that they would cherish and pass on to their children.
That's what he wanted.
He tried to tell her that yesterday morning but she had changed the subject. Travis knew his girlfriend well enough to see that her lame attempt at moving the conversation along was hiding something. Her face in the crowd on today had proved his inquiries correct.
Know he sat, looking out at the dance crowd, wondering.
"Go talk to her," Percy urged him. The look on Travis' face as he was taken out of thought at the dinner table was one of confusion. "Annabeth told me. Katie seems worried. Ann's demanding that you should talk to her. I thought you might want to hear it from me."
Travis looked around the rooftop reception. Dozens of circular tables outlines a dance floor in the center. It was filled with people might I making it impossible to find his girl or the figure of an angry blonde. He didn't even see her and already he felt warmer. Travis loosed his tie skillfully. Unsure of the actions he was about to make.
"She's at table fourteen," Percy said nonchalantly.
Travis clapped his shoulder and said, "Thanks, I owe you."
Percy responded, "Yeah, you do."
Travis made his way from his seat at Table Two, to the other side of the roof. He had to admit, Silena had pulled out all the stops for this shindig. The ceremony ended and the guests made their way up the elevators to the reception area on the roof. Twinkling lights from every direction converging in a tent-like point over the center of the dance floor. The panoramic views of New York City were a stunning back drop and the sunset made the dinner glow like magic. It was unseasonably warm for a September night.
Table thirteen, Travis read silently. Aha, there she is table fourteen. And there she was. Katie sat with her facing Travis, but he could recognize her anywhere.
Annabeth spotted him standing there looking at them and secretly motioned him forward behind Katie's back.
"Hey guys," he enthusiastically strutted up to the girls. "Who wants to dance?" The girls looked at each other Annabeth beaming and Katie avoiding.
"Nah," said Annabeth, "my heels have already killed my feet enough for one night." contrary to what she told them, Annabeth stood up and walked away from the couple.
"So, I guess it's just you and me." Travis joked trying to erase the tension. When that didn't work, he lied. "Please, red-headed, bridesmaid number four has eyed me all night and I'm afraid that-"
"Travis, there was no bridesmaid with red hair," Katie stated bluntly. She rolled her head to look at him. Big mistake. The playful smile was back.
"I can't hide anything from you can I?" he asked already knowing the answer.
"Never." Katie held out her hand for him to take. He gladly returned the gesture and lead her out to the dance floor.
Smooth jazz played a pretty melody that got every couple out on the floor.
The nerves on Katie's bare-back tingled as Travis placed his hand on them. Her deep blue gown was the color of the night sky just after sunset and had a cut out back that showed off her skin as elegantly as the dress flowed to the ground. Katie's hair was strategically pinned up to show off this feature and she now regretted it. The warmth of Travis' hand on her skin sent shock waves through her system. She moved in closer. The air around them stood still as they danced. Slowly, Katie's head leaned in enough that she rested it on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat and he held on to her tight as they moved in small circles.
"You look beautiful tonight. Has anyone told you that?" Travis said breaking the silence.
"They aren't supposed to. It's the brides job to look beautiful."
"Well, don't tell her I said this but," Travis stopped moving and bent his head down to whisper into her ear. "You are the most beautiful women I have ever seen. You're showing her up by a hundred miles. If she was smart she wouldn't want you in any pictures."
The heat of his breath down her neck sent shivers through Katie. She smiled at his ridiculousness and sighed with a grin.
"You're wrong." They began to dance again. Travis pulled her closer than before. Their bodies pressed together as one while they twirled.
"I speak the truth. I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the entire world," he stated as a fact, confidence dripping from his voice. "Mythological and mortal."
Katie looked up to meet his gaze, hoping her talent for reading his face would kick in.
"Is that what you want? The most beautiful girlfriend?"
Katie knew this question could go awry. He tried to talk to her about getting married before but Katie blew it off. She had been seething over her choice to dismiss it for the past week.
Travis knew where this was going. He let go of her hand, keeping the other on her back, Travis led them to the edge of the rooftop, away from everyone.
"Let's just forget what I said the other day, alright? I was getting caught up with this wedding," he told her.
Katie looked out over the skyline.
"Sometimes I feel like we just follow what we think we are supposed to do. Not what we feel is right."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we talk about doing all these things because other people are doing them. And our relationship has been pushed along by others. How many people told us we would be together one day, growing up? We were pushed and pushed by the Aphrodite kids. Sometimes I wonder if it would be different if we were normal and just meet on any old day. We would date like regular kids and fall deeply in love over a walk in the park. . . Now look at us. Chris moved out of your apartment so he could live with Clar, so what do we do? We move in together. Silena and Beck are getting married, so . . . so . . . what does that mean for us?"
Travis moved to stand behind her. He kissed the back of her head then put his arms around her as they leaned over the rail, their faces next to each others that their cheeks almost touched.
"I love you," he said. "Don't you ever think that it's not true, ever. This was not something created by other people. It's us. And it always will be. You and me. Doing things are own way, like it's always been."
Travis tilted his head to the side to kiss her cheek. Whether on accident or on purpose Travis didn't know, Katie moved her head as well and caught his lips in their own. It was supposed to be a sweet kiss on Travis' part but Katie filled it with passion and want. She reached around his neck bring him closer as their bodies rested on the ledge along the roof. Both unwillingly pulled their faces away.
"You forgive me too easily," Katie pulled him in for a hug.
"Forgiveness is my middle name," he joked. "Travis Oliver 'Forgiveness' Stoll." A few silent seconds passed. The couple didn't move from their hold on each other.
"I've never been angry at you," Travis admitted. "Not now, not ever."
"Good. Because I love you but I don't want to get married just because other people are."
"And we are not going to. We're twenty-two and we have all the time in the world."
Travis pushed her back to look into the dazzling brown eyes, which looked even more magnificent in the moonlight, of his girl.
"I remember the first time I saw you at camp. How desperately I wanted to avoid you. You were my first crush. Do you know that?" Katie shook her head. "Do you remember the first time we did talk? You insulted me and I suggested we go out sometime. I knew from that moment that you were the one for me. It took a few years but I got you. I never left you alone then, and I don't plan on doing that now. I plan to be by your side for the rest of my life," he sighed. "As far as I'm concerned, Kate, we are already married."
"And when we do, we will do it our way. Not all this 'black tie' fanciness," Katie smiled at him.
"We will have pizza and pancakes for dinner," Travis told her.
"No," he ignored her.
"And there will be five hundred people around because we want the entire world to see that we are together. You will be the most beautiful bride to ever exist."
"Can we just skip to the end where we kiss?" Katie suggested.
"That will be the best part." Travis informed her, not grasping what she was saying. "We-"
Katie grabbed the back of her boyfriends head and pulled his face down to meet hers. She slowly and passionately kissed her love. Katie and Travis put all their emotion into that kiss and were completely unaware of the group of guests that had suddenly taken an interest in their conversation. But they wouldn't care. They had each other, and that's all they needed.