Of Fireworks and Scents

Katie stared up at her ceiling for what had to be hours. Connor had kissed her... and she had let him. And she wasn't sure why. And even more, she had kissed him back. And she had melted into it.

It was only the one kiss, and it hadn't lasted particularly long, maybe only three seconds. Mouths closed... more or less. And after that, he rolled back onto his back to stare at the sky a while longer, talking about different constellations they both knew, and a few that Katie didn't. Katie's voice had significantly softened and her cheeks must have been a fine shade of red.

He dropped her off at her cabin just a little bit before curfew, with a smile and a bow, before turning to his own cabin, promising that he wouldn't print any of the pictures without her permission. She spent the next several hours remembering the kiss, the feel of his lips, and how he smelled smoky... but the good kind of smoky, like a bonfire. And pinecones.

The next few days were uneventful. As neither Stoll could take the girl they wanted to as a date for the fireworks, both had volunteered to work it, though for some unknown reason Travis was not talking to Connor. Worried that Connor may have told him about the kiss, Katie pulled him aside after lunch one day and asked. Connor promised her that he hadn't told a soul, and then kissed her lightly again, very quickly.

Travis was also avoiding Katie when possible, though he spent all meals staring longingly at her, so it wasn't like he had lost interest. This one, Katie figured out on her own.

"It was the gesture," she said, catching up to Travis as he was headed toward the communal bathrooms after a rather long arena session. In an effort to help the children of Hermes to become better fighters, Chris had convinced both Travis and Clarisse to hold a joint arena session as they had the arena one after the other. It turned out that really, Chris just wanted a chance to spend time with Clarisse without having to abandon his siblings. Unfortunately for Chris, Clarisse was more into the battle than kissing him.

In the end, it left a few bruised and battered Hermes kids. Travis had built up a large sweat, having held his own against one of Ares's kids, one his own age and a great fighter. Stepping up next to him, Katie couldn't help but admire the musky scent he was giving off.

"What was the gesture?" Travis asked, his eyes locked on the communal boys' bathroom where the showers were.

"Why I agreed to go with Malcolm," she said. "It was the fireworks and roses. It's not because I like him more than you... or Connor."

Travis looked at her with his beautiful blue eyes. And then he smiled. "Good." And that was all he said before he stepped into the bathrooms. A few moments later, he was peeking out of one of the very high windows. "Would you mind getting me a towel and a change of clothing?"

Katie smiled at him. "Not a chance," she said and finger-waved at him as she continued away from him.

Mimis was going through Katie's drawers after dinner the night of the fireworks. Katie stared at her sister. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Oh, no, I'm helping you," Mimis said looking up for just a moment.

"By?" Katie asked.

"This," Mimis said, pulling out a dress Katie had. One of her mortal friends had forced her to pack it, after having seen a few pictures of some of her camp friends. Specifically, a few of the guys. Very specifically, the Stolls.

"I'm saving that," Katie said, snatching it from Mimis's hand.

"For what?" her sister asked. "A guy that has been spelled to love you? Come on, you could go on a date with them wearing footie pajamas and they'd still think you were beautiful." Katie looked at the dress. It was strapless and form-fitting and very short. Katie had no actual intention of wearing it.

"Look, it's too formal for the fireworks," Katie said. "Maybe for the end of summer dance..."

Mimis rolled her eyes. "Okay, outfit two." This time she pulled out a flowered cami and a pink skirt.

"It's supposed to be a little chilly," Katie said.

"Exactly," Mimis said. "Malcolm will be wearing a sweater or a jacket. You shiver, he lends it to you." She rolled her green eyes. "Have you never been on a date?"

"I have," she said. "I just don't sit there planning ways to snag his clothing."

In the end, Katie wound up wearing outfit number two. Miranda, very clearly on Malcolm's side, had done Katie's hair up into a very cute braided bun while Mimis, who just wanted to be a date guru, did Katie's make-up. Katie had to admit that she looked very pretty.

The fireworks were supposed to go off at nine, so Malcolm came by the cabin at eight thirty to pick her up. He smiled brightly at her when she came out and down the steps. "Beautiful," he said as she stepped onto the ground. Katie blushed.

"Thanks," she said. She waited for an offered arm, or at least a hand... or even a hand on her back, but Malcolm simply gestured toward the beach and began walking. Katie shivered. He didn't offer his sweater. Instead he asked her if she needed to grab a jacket herself, which she declined.

Sitting on a blanket he had set up earlier, Malcolm began explaining how fireworks worked. Terms and physics that Katie didn't understand. Different elements burned different colors, how they expanded, why some shot so high and others lasted so long...

She became very bored very quickly. Finally, the first went off. She sighed and leaned back on her elbows for a better view. They were shot off on platforms near the water line, and everyone had to be at least fifteen yards back from the water. Most were a little farther because otherwise their blankets would eventually get wet from the often wet sand.

Of course, as soon as it exploded in a blue color, the words, "Copper chloride," came from Malcolm's mouth. Katie sighed. She just wanted to 'ooh' and 'aah' at the fireworks. Still, with the different fireworks, Malcolm continued to give small explanations that Katie didn't understand. He told her when some where made with magic, but of course she knew that fireworks that had continuously moving pictures were magic.

She couldn't have had the finale come sooner, because anything Malcolm might have tried to say was drowned out by the screams and booms and everyone else cheering.

Katie looked around at all the other couples, most being very couply. They cuddled, the guys shared their jackets, or they'd wrap themselves together with their blanket. The guys brought treats and drinks, and some guys even gave the girls flowers. Malcolm had done none of that. Instead, he bored her with the science of something she didn't want to know the science behind.

After the show, Malcolm stood up, so Katie did as well. He smiled at her, and she could see that he thought that it had been a wonderful date so she attempted to smile as well. All the other couples, however, were still cuddling and chatting... or making out.

She shivered as she sat on her bed, still chilled from the night.

"Wow, that bad?" Theresa asked, walking in.

"What do you mean?" Katie asked.

"You're the first back," Theresa said. "You know Mimis, Miranda, and Demetrius are all going to want to know how it went."

Katie groaned. It was true. "I'm going to go hide," she said, and then she was out of the cabin.

She dodged everyone as they all came back from the fireworks. Chris was taking his time dropping off Clarisse at her cabin, Nico was sulking after having spent the fireworks alone. Percy and Annabeth were holding hands and purposely bumping into one another, so clearly it wasn't something about the Athena children, it was just Malcolm who was clueless on how dates worked.

Finally, Katie spotted Mimis with a son of Apollo, and Katie's eyes widened. If Mimis saw her, she'd immediately jump on Katie with questions. She dodged into the closest cabin, and immediately realized that it was the Hermes cabin. She really didn't care, and it was empty of occupants. She ventured a few steps in and stationed herself at a window, waiting for Mimis to head back to the Demeter cabin. Then she'd be able to go the the girls bathrooms. However, then she heard someone on the steps. She glanced around, and jumped onto a bed in the corner, one without tons of junk on it that she would have to throw off. She pulled the covers over her head and clamped a hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet.

The scent was very familiar, and very pleasing to her senses. There was only one set of footsteps approaching, which Katie was thankful for... until she realized that they were still approaching. The covers were pulled back.

And Travis stared down at her.

"If you wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask," Travis said, a smirk on his lips.

Suddenly, Katie recognized the musky scent. "I'm hiding," Katie said.

Travis lifted an eyebrow. "It was that bad?" he asked. "You actually flaked out on the end to hide in my bed."

"I didn't know it was your bed," Katie said. "And I'm actually hiding from Mimis. I know if she sees me in our cabin too early she's going to critique the whole thing."

"So, it was a great date?" Travis asked.

"Terrible," Katie said. She covered her face with her hands. "It was so boring."

Travis smiled. She knew why, because it meant that Malcolm was probably out of the running in Katie's eyes. "So, you're just going to hide in here."

"No, I'll find somewhere else," she said. "I don't need to be caught..." she stopped as several sets of footprints began up the steps. "Oh gods."

"Lay down straight," Travis said, and pulled off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Katie asked, but didn't get past that as Travis crawled into the bed next to her, laying on his side. She realized that his frame completely blocked her from view, especially with the covers over her head.

"I sleep shirtless," he whispered. "You can hide here until everyone's asleep, if that's okay with you." At that moment, she heard the door open, so she responded with a nod. However, this presented her with another problem. She was pressed pretty close to Travis, and with his scent over powering her, and his warmth, she was getting tired. She was pretty sure she'd fall asleep before all his siblings would.

Travis was unable to even think about falling asleep, though he made a pretty good show of it. Once the lights were off, and he was certain that everyone, especially Connor, was asleep, he turned to Katie. She had fallen asleep. Granted, with her breath caressing his upper back and one of her hands that had been running up and down his spine, he had been too stimulated with the thought of Katie... in his bed... to fall asleep.

He crawled out of bed and admired her for a few moments. She was absolutely beautiful, with her hair all done up, and the touches of make-up. He didn't want to wake her, so he picked her up gently and began to carry her.

She began to stir about halfway across the field to her cabin. "Travis?" she questioned.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"You can put me down," she said, stretching a bit in his arms. She yawned a bit once he set her down.

"No one noticed you," he said as he pulled her close, slinging an arm over her shoulders to keep her warm when she shivered.

She looked at him when they got to her cabin. He was leaner than Connor, but she was still quite impressed with his body. She decided that the leaner, less sculpted muscles suited him better.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Thanks."

He smiled at her. "Anything for you." He began to turn away, but stopped and looked at her. "You've chosen, right?"

Katie lifted an eyebrow. "Chosen what?"

"Connor," Travis said.

Katie shook her head. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

"I saw the picture," Travis said. "On his camera. I knew he was taking pictures of you, so I borrowed his camera to see them. And I saw the picture of you and him."

"Me and him?" Katie asked. All the pictures he took were just of her.

"I know it was dimly lit, but I could still clearly see you were kissing," Travis said.

Katie's green eyes widened. "That got shot?" she asked. Her cheeks flushed red.

Travis nodded. "You know, it's okay," Travis said. "I'm not exactly happy, but if you are..."

"Travis," Katie said, grabbing his hand as he turned away. When he turned back to her, she took a step forward to meet him, got on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him, flush on the lips. Travis's arms snaked around her. It only lasted a few seconds, but Travis kept his arms around her after the kiss ended. "Okay, yes, I kissed him," she said. "But, now I've kissed you as well."

"We could keep kissing," Travis said, a smile on his face. That genuine smile that showed his chipped tooth.

"I don't know if-" she was cut off when he bent forward and kissed her again. And Katie melted into it, but once again, it was only for a few seconds. "I have to go now," Katie said, letting go of Travis. She slipped out of his arms and quickly made her way back into her cabin.

So, now she's kissed both Stolls. And they both made her melt.

So, I still want to know who you guys want to win. Do we want it Contie or Tratie? Or she Malcolm have another chance at a date.

I know, Malcolm probably was the worst at taking her on a date ever. Do you think he should get date advice from someone (Miranda probably) and ask her out again?

Do you want to see any specific kind of date? We've had beach date, Pegasus ride and ice cream, picnic by the lake, fireworks... so what other dates do you want to see?

Let me know!