Hey guys! Just wanted to throw a cute little Tratie oneshot just in time for the holidays. Hope you enjoy! Commenting will be my christmas present *nudgenudgewinkwink*
Note: Christmas a CHB is kind of like Christmas at Hogwarts. Most people leave, but some stay.
I do not own PJATO. Happy Holidays!
"Merry Christmas, sleepyhead." said a voice. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The two other cabin mates of mine were sitting around the tree, opening presents. I grinned and climbed down.
I plopped down on the floor and looked at the small stack of gifts labeled "For Katie". The first few were from my dad and out of camp friends. The next one was simply a red envelope with my name on it.
I ripped it open. "HAPPY HOLIDAYS! –The Demeter Cabin" was on the blank card on the inside.
"Uh, thanks guys." I said, looking quizzically at the card.
"That's not it, duh." said Marie, who was lying on her bed. "We're extending your subscription to Gardening Today." she grinned.
"Aw!" I crooned. "I love you guys. Thanks."
"No problem. It's a bit from everyone, not just us." answered Elsie, another cabin mate, looking at me, who was unwrapping a large red box.
"You guys are sweet." I said, going through the rest of the pile.
The only thing left at the bottom was a small, soft package wrapped in tissue paper. I opened it, wondering who it was from.
A red, knit scarf tumbled out. I rubbed it between my fingers, feeling how soft and warm it was. Looking for a card, I found one. I was a little white card with the words "Enjoy." on it.
"Do you guys know who gave me this?" I asked curiously, holding up the scarf and the card. "There's no name."
"Katie's got a secret admirer, Katie's got a secret admirer!" Elsie sang, how holding a sweater instead of a box.
"Nope." Marie said, squinting at it. Katie shrugged, wondering, and got up.
"Anyone else want to go outside?" she said, changing and shrugging on her coat and hat.
"Why?" Elsie asked.
"No reason, I guess." Katie pulled on her gloves and finally, wrapped the red scarf around her neck. It was nice and warm.
Then she went outside. The snow crunched nicely under her boots and the trees looked like a Christmas card, covered in white. Every cabin was blanked by snow too. She walked for a bit, slowly, around the cabins, just enjoying the outdoors. It was when she got to a thicket of trees when a snowball hit her.
"Ow!" she said, spinning around angrily to attempt to find the assailant.
Another snowball hit her in the back. Katie scowled.
"Show yourself already!" she demanded, brushing the snow off her back.
"Hi." said a voice. A figure stepped out of the trees. "Guilty."
It was Travis Stoll, his cheeks pink with the cold.
"Why do you find that necessary?" she demanded again.
"'Cuz your expression is funny." he said, grinning.
"I'm serious!"
"Hi serious, I'm Travis."
"You're impossible." she said, turning around, but inwardly she was smiling. It was impossible to stay angry with him, but he infuriated her all the time. He followed her around. She turned around again, but he kept following her. After spinning for a few minutes, Travis following along the whole time, she bowed her head and put a hand on her stomach.
"You make me sick. Literally."
"Why, thank you!" She sighed, glaring into those blue eyes, blue like a clear pool, blue like the sky on a good day in the garden. Katie mentally scolded herself. She was nothing thinking about how gorgeous his eyes were. She wasn't. She began to walk towards the shed with the garden supplies, feeling like she could take solace there.
"You know who gave you that scarf?" he said suddenly, smiling like he was holding some big secret and following her.
"Who?" she said, walking, but looking at him for a second.
"I know."
"Okay. So who?" She stopped at the side of the shed, leaning against it and smelling the faint scent of soil there, a smell she missed in the winter. She breathed in deeply, only mildly aware of Travis next to her.
"Are you smelling that shed?" he asked, repressing a laugh.
"What if I am?" she shot back, turning and crossing her arms. "Anyway, who gave it to me?"
"Not telling." he teased, grinning.
"Who?"
"Not telling."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to." he answered smugly. She groaned.
"What will get you to?"
"A favor." She sighed and rolled her eyes at this.
"What favor?"
He pretended to deliberate, rubbing his chin.
"For a pretty girl like you... I'll go easy." she rolled her eyes and urged him to go on, arms still crossed.
"Kiss me."
"Right now?" she blanched. Katie looked away for a second, rubbing the snow under her boot. "But... why?"
"Don't sound so repulsed. Do it or I'm not telling."
"Fine!" she said. "But tell me first."
"Fine." Travis agreed. She turned around to face him. "I gave you that scarf." he looked down at the snow. Her eyes widened.
"Y-you did? You did." she rubbed the scarf between her gloved fingers. She was probably as red as it was.
"Yeah." he said, looking up and smiling, his cheeks still a bit pink. She couldn't tear her eyes from him, he looked so cute. Katie blinked, not sure what to do, trying to pull everything together and failing badly.
"Um, I...uh..." she stuttered before making a snap decision. "Thanks." she said, turned, and ran.
Katie had no idea why Chiron thought a bonfire was a good idea tonight. Though there was a fire, it was still like seventeen degrees. She pulled her coat closer to her and felt around in her coat pocket, hoping for another pair of gloves to layer or something. But when she opened it, she only saw red knit.
The red scarf. She pulled it out anyway and wrapped it around her neck and cheeks. It smelled nice, like a clean, fresh boy scent, like soap. She found herself breathing deeply, feeling a bit guilty.
Katie had avoided Travis all day, but this made her feel sort of weird. She pushed her hands deeper into her pockets. Because for a second that day, she felt like she really wanted to kiss him. To run her hands through his curls. To smell his scent.
"Are you okay?" Marie said next to her, looking at Katie curiously, and interrupting her thoughts.
"I'm fine. Just... cold." she answered, shaking her head.
"You seem distracted."
"I'm okay." She assured her half sister, smiling under the scarf.
"Ok." Marie shrugged and looked to the fire."
Just then, Chiron called the end.
"Remember, curfew in half an hour." he mentioned, while everyone dispersed.
Katie got up and dreamily decided where to go. Instead on going inside, like her inside told her, her body walked up the hill, trudging through the snow. She walked up the hill and around the trees until she reached the little red shed. The Garden shed. She walked to its little porch and sat down against the wall, not noticing how her cold her butt was.
She looked out to the snow buried meadows, seeing the twinkling lights of the city in the way in the distance. And as it went, little flakes of snow began to swirl down from the sky. She sniffed, feeling the wood under her gloves.
Just as she was musing, she heard trudging footsteps. Narrowing her eyes, she stood and leaned over the railing, wondering who it was. When she found out, she flattened herself against the wall. Why was Travis Stoll popping up at random these days? She hated it, but at the same time, she loved it. Katie moved over to the other railing, watching the twinkling lights of the city and willing him to go away.
Emotional stress like this wasn't good for Katie Gardner. And she accepted that.
"You're wearing my scarf." said Travis's voice behind her. She didn't turn around.
"So what if I am? It's a nice scarf. I like it." she said, the words slipping out before she could think.
Silence for a minute. He came up and leaned on the railing next to her, one side turned to Katie.
"Well, I'm cold." he said.
"Great for you." she answered sarcastically. A grin spread across his face.
"You know what would make me warm?"
"What?"
"If you hugged me."
"Uh huh."
"You know what would make me really warm? Hot, even? Not that I'm not already hot, but in body temperature standards?"
"Do I really want to know?
"If you kiss me. I know you want to, and you owe me." he said, that silly grin still there. She wanted to slap him silly, but at the same time, she desperately wanted to fill his requests.
"Yeah, okay." she ended up saying, narrowing her eyes. "What makes you think I want to kiss you?"
"I just know you do."
"Is it because you want to kiss me? You want to kiss me, so I want to kiss you?" she asked, slyly, sticking out her chin.
"So you admit you want to kiss me!"
"What if I do?" she demanded, once again, the words out before she could think about it.
But before she could saying anything, her lips were occupied. Her thoughts caught up with her actions. Travis Stoll was kissing her. Travis Stoll was kissing her and she was just standing there.
He was pressing her gently against the railing, and she loved it. He was so warm. She wrapped her arms around him, not ever wanting to let go.
When he finally stopped kissing her, she just stared into those blue eyes. Travis took the other end of the red scarf and draped it over his own shoulder.
"See, I knew it." he said, grinning. She rolled her eyes and smiled back.
"Merry Christmas, Travis." she said, feeling the warmth in their embrace.
"Merry Christmas, Katie..."
Maybe it could stay winter for just a little longer.
Hope it's snowing where you are. COMMENT!