Of Shirtlessness and Shoelaces
A Percy Jackson story (well, Tratie, in this case)
©-Rick Riordan
Written and edited by: Max/musiclover99

OKAY, so this is a one-shot that is the "aftermath" of Bubbles's (aka, bubbly chick's) chapter 9 in Some Bets Katie Shouldn't Have Made. Chapter 9, bet 9, Plans and Laces. This is probably gonna be VERY different from my usual writing (little bit of cussing, lotta pervertedness, etc.) because . . . this is HER "story", technically, not mine! This . . . *gag* is the most perverted/disturbing/slightly awkward for me to write/etc fic I have ever written. You better be grateful, Bubbles! *shudder* YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. . . . it was actually pretty fun, haha. Well then . . . *hiccup*, on with the very odd chapter!

Damn him. Damn Travis Stoll. Damn him to Hades. No, wait, he didn't deserve Hades. Just plain damn him.

Okay, so it was technically Katie's fault. She brought this on herself. But it's not like she would admit that. Nope, she'd be totally happy, and perfectly fine with blaming Travis for the entire thing. Plus, she wasn't the one who told him what he had to do if he lost the bet, he was the one who suggested his "punishment"! Granted, she sorta set that up (going all day with only a bra, what the heck was she thinking?) but it wasn't like she told him to do that!

And yet again, on the other hand, she hadn't exactly protested either, even though she knew what the outcome would be.

But she never knew it'd affect her like THIS.

If you had any sense of curiosity at all, you'd probably be wondering why the Hades Katie was so flustered (which, again, she would never admit). Basically, it's a simple, four lettered statement.

Travis. Stoll. Is. Shirtless.

Katie was a loss for words. Four words: Whatthe heckis going on?*

Why the Hades was Katie—Katie Gardner, the one who "hates" (cough cough) Travis Stoll—feeling so . . . weird around him? Like that stupid song, Bubbly by Colbie Caillat, she got that tingly, giggly feeling, the one that makes her feel so, so . . . so damn childish. She felt like crap.

Look at her. Pathetic. Kneeling in the strawberry fields, in front of the same damn strawberry bush, for about ten minutes, just thinking about Travis Stoll, and how she feels around him. She felt like some nymph, or Aphrodite kid.[#]

To say that she was pissed was an understatement.

Would somebody on this gods forsaken planet just slap her already? Or Aphrodite. Most likely, it was Aphrodite doing everything, the tingly feeling, the thoughts (the ones where she keeps thinking that Travis looks so goddamn hot[1], and then she wants to slug herself), every single freaking detail of this freaking day and—

"Hey, Katie Kat."

Speak (or rather, in this case, think) of the devil, and the devil shall appear.

A handsome devil at that. Katie then mentally slapped herself, then thought, Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up, don't friggin look u—

Katie looked up. Dammit. Damn damn damn, dammit. Travis Stoll, in all his god-like glory (don't tell him that, his head's big with enough crap already), was standing there, smirking, arms crossed over his bare ch—

Don't think about it, don't think about it, do not even THINK about it!

"Travis," she said, nodding at him curtly. "And don't call me that!" she added, before going back to fidgeting with the strawberry bush. Poor bush. It was starting to run out of twigs and leaves from all the twisting and pulling she did while she was thinking.

"Aw, don't be like that, babe."

"Don't call me that either," she snapped quickly, rolling her eyes. Travis feigned hurt, and said, "I do a favor like this—"

"More like torture," she mumbled, too low for him to hear.

"—for you, and this is how you repay me? I am hurt, Katie, very hurt."

Katie snorted, then said, "I've heard better lies from my five month old cousin."

"He can talk?"

"When'd I say that?" she asked. "And how do you know it's a he? You have nothing better to do than follow me around all day? Stalker."

"Oh! Another blow to the heart! Oh, she's killing me!" he said, going to the ground, and mock choking. "Air! I need air! Gasp, I need to breathe! Breathe!"

Katie rolled her eyes again, stood up, and walked away to another bush, saying over her shoulder, "You have fun, then!"

Travis secretly watched her go off, waiting for her to come back. Dammit, she isn't gonna stop. Then he got an idea.

"I think I need the kiss of life!"

Katie's steps faltered, but then continued, saying, "Good luck finding the poor girl to do that!"

Dammit. Since that failed, Travis gave up his fainting routine, and followed her.

"Wait up, babe!"

"I said, don't call me that!" Katie snapped, turning around, but turning back instantly, a slight blush on her face.

Stupid shirtless Travis.

Travis stopped a few feet in front of her.

"Wow, touchy," he commented. "Is it that time of month again?"[2]

Katie flushed a bit (with annoyance, anger, or embarrassment, we'll never know), and barked back, still not facing him, "No. Now, would you leave me the Hades alone?"

Travis blinked and said, "Are you sure?"

"Sure that I want you to leave me alone?"

"No, that it's not your time of month."

Katie turned around, with her eyes closed, and said, jabbing a finger at his chest, "You, Travis Stoll, are the most annoying, irritating—"

"Hot, smexy[3]—"

"Disgusting, disturbing—"

"Good looking, handsome—"

"Despicable—"

"Loveable—"

"Awful, cute, despised—"

Travis blinked and said, "Whoa whoa whoa, what was that last one?"

Katie opened her eyes to see nothing other than Travis's bare chest in front of her. She quickly turned around, blushing, and retraced her words. She flushed an even darker shade of red.

"Despised?"

Travis shook his head. "No, the one before that."

"Awful?" Katie suggested.

"No! In the middle!"

Katie remained silent, and Travis asked, "Did you say what I think you said? Me, Travis Stoll, the hottest dude in camp, cute?"

Katie's silence was answer enough for him. Travis laughed, and clapped his hands.

"I don't know whether to be insulted or pleased. I'll go with the latter—"

"Ooh, fancy word."

Travis ignored her and said, "Well, look at that! Katie Gardner, daughter of Demeter, just said I was c—mmph!"

That last 'word' was because Katie just covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shut up, nimrod!" Then took her hand away, shaking it, and saying, "Oh gods, that's disgusting!" Why?

Travis just licked her hand. "Oh come on, you know you loved it."

"Perv!"

"I try." After a few second, Travis added, "You know, I noticed something."

"What?" Katie snapped, wiping her hand on her shorts.

Travis smirked, and said, "You like touching my chest."[4]

Katie's eyes widened. "You sikko!"

"I notice you're not objecting."

Katie spluttered, which Travis, of course, took that as a yes.

"Haha, you like touching my abs! I knew it!"While Travis was silently celebrating his "victory", Katie noticed something. She smirked.

"Hey, Travis?" she said in what she hoped was a cutesy/seductive way. Travis immediately stopped celebrating and gulped at the look she was giving him.

"Y-yes?" He cursed himself for making his voice sound so high, or crack a bit at the end. Katie inwardly smirked.

It's working . . .

She sauntered up to him, and whispered in his ear, "I have something for you."

Travis gulped again. "Y . . . yeah?" And of course, he still sounded like he was just going through puberty again.

Katie leaned in, as if she was about to kiss him, then ran away as fast as she can in the other direction, yelling over her shoulder, "Psyche!"

Travis, obviously, faceplanted into the dirt and made a complete fool of himself.

"Damn you, Katie!" He ran up to follow her but then had a nice mouthful of dirt again. He spat some blades of grass out, then looked down.

Damn those gods-damned, freaking shoelaces.

*Okay, that was a total "borrowed" line from nigahiga, but what can I say, dude's a genius! Couldn't resist. It was just set up, right there! Like a neon billboard (such as Auntie Em's sign), just BEGGING me to put it there.

[#] No offense to nymphs or Aphrodite kids whatsoever! I think the former's pretty cool (Juniper) and the latter's better than they seem (Mitchell, Silena, Lacy, Piper, etc).

[1] *gag* That has to be . . . the most AWKWARD/DISGUSTING line . . . I have EVER put in a fic . . . EVER! Minus the whole "babe" thing, but that's not a LINE, that's more of a . . . word. But back on topic about that line, good gods, Bubbles, be grateful. *shudder* If you'll excuse me, I think my lunch wants a visit . . .

[2] And that would take the cake as the SECOND most awkward/disgusting line.

[3] Now, while that beats babe as the most awkward word I have ever written, it's a funny sounding word! Seriously! Just say it out loud, and like, emphasize it, it sounds funny! Haha!

[4] AND THAT TAKES PRIZE NUMBER 2, OVERTAKING [2], and being the second most disgusting/awkward line I've ever written.

Gods, this thing has a lot of these things at the end . . . ah well. Thank you Bubbles, for making me write the most awkward fic I have ever written. Lol, more fun than I thought it would be. ^^ Hope you enjoyed, R&R please!