Ω Fireworks aren't the only thing that explodes tonight Ω

-Travis-

He woke up in the morning, finding himself in cloud nine. Looking down at the girl with his arms placing on her waist, she starts stirring into him more, he let out a chuckle down his throat. Recalling their conversation last night, feeling giddy. Truly be told, he is really to be reject when she didn't say anything for a long period, when she spoke the exactly words that she agreed to go with him, he accidentally kissed her head. If she also noticed then he is thanking her for not pointing out, because he doesn't want these interact leads to awkwardness. They started to have those actions when they are alone and he knows deep down they are more than friends. Two people going to the fireworks together in camp means they're either a couple or a to be couple. He just hopes she is having the same feelings but not saying yes because other reasons.

He looks at his watch, 6:15, a little late than usual. He carefully sits up, walk to her desk and grab Katie's hair brush, combing her hair while trying not to wake her up, then braid her hair. He had been dying to do this for her, he has used his little sister's hair for practice. He did a different style from the French braid she usually do, he pulls out a few strands of hair, gather them and braid them at the back of her head. Looking at his masterpiece he felt proud, let's just hope she will like it. He kissed her hair and walk to her door, using his power to open the lock without open the door. Take a look at his watch again, 6:30. He decided to wake Katie up before leaving the room.

"Katie-kat, it's 6:30" He whispered in her ear and shake her shoulder little.

"Trav?" Katie let out a squeak, trying to open her eyes but it ended up squeezing into a line.

"I already opened your door."

"Oh."

"And there's a surprise waiting for you." Travis smirked.

"Gods, I hate your surprises." Katie said in a sleepy sound while tossing herself around and pull the green cover over her head. She hasn't noticed her hair.

"No. You like me surprising you, you just don't like the surprises itself." Travis protested.

"Get lost." She shooed him away, but she didn't deny it. He takes a mental note, strike one for Travis.

"Yes, ma'am." He flipped out the window, hoping he will still see the braid later when they have breakfast. He didn't hear Katie yelling after he left so he guessed it's a good sign that she might keep the hair.

*Hermes pic

"She said yes." He told Connor the moment his brother came out the bathroom.

"Who says yes to what?" Connor asked while drying his hair with towel and having no idea what he is talking about.

"Katie says yes to going the fireworks with me." Travis replied with the 'Duh' tone.

"Really?" He dropped his towel in the basket for laundry.

"Swear on our mother's name."

"I feel sorry for Katie." Connor murmured.

"Come on man, shouldn't you be cheering for me?"

"About?"

"Me pulling off this whole thing."

"You are sure she isn't doing for charity?" The next second water splash into Connor's face and forming a little pool under his feet, making the drying process he did earlier in vain. "Seriously?!"

"Yep." Travis shoved another towel to Connor's face.

"You are too dramatic."

"Hush."

They bring their siblings to the breakfast and the little ones start asking them about the fireworks two day later.

"Is it beautiful?" Mike, their eight years old brother asked, this is his first year in camp.

"It's dreamy and it will be the best fireworks you've ever seen."

"Who are you going with?"

"About that, the lover boy over here—" Connor took the chance to roast his brother.

"I'm not!"

"Whatever. He gets to go with Katie."

"The girl you have a crush on?" Mike squeaked at Travis. He gives him a look. How does this little man know about his crush? "He didn't say no!" Mike got more excited.

"Oh gods." Travis dropped his face in his palms, but his older siblings didn't miss the color red that slowly form on his cheeks. They chuckled at the sight their brother being all shy and embarrassed.

"Wait, you asked her and she said yes?" Chris thought for a moment and asked. Travis gives him a small nod and turn his attention back to his food.

"So it's either she really wants to go with you or she is doing charity." Chris tell the table.

"What's wrong with you guys and Katie doing charity?" Travis groaned. He's only been up for two hours and it's the second time today someone said Katie is doing charity. At this rate, he will convince himself she is doing charity at the end of the day.

"I said the same thing this morning." Connor told them.

Travis decided to ignore them for the rest of the morning. When he's about to finish his food, he suddenly noticed the strawberry and grass mixture scent he smells every night, it's something he'll never mistaken. He turned his head rapidly and saw Katie in the orange camp shirt with white shorts. Her brown hair with golden highlights is still in the style he braided for her this morning, a single braid at the back and the rest of the hair let down, resting on her shoulder. It looks less messy, she definitely redone it. However, she kept the style, strike two for Travis today. She turned around and their eyes locks, Katie stood in her spot for a second and give him a little smile. It's just the corner of her lips quirked but, in his mind, he felt like winning a million-dollar lottery. He let out a small laugh at the bottom of his throat. Unfortunately, that got Connor's attention.

"What's all that?"

"What's what?"

"You and Katie just staring at each other and you suddenly laughed."

"No idea?" Travis decided to act dumb.

"Don't give me that act, if you don't tell me I'll tell the others about the sleepover." Good, it's blackmail now.

"The hair." He murmured.

"What 'the hair', explain!" Excellent, his brother is now squeaking like a high school girl hearing a gossip.

"I braid her hair this morning."

"That's why you've been doing Caroline's hair." Travis nodded sheepishly. "You know what, ask her out after the fireworks."

"No!"

"Why? It's like the perfect timing."

"It's too fast! We only stop killing each other for the last few months."

"You better make a move fast. That's all I have to say." He stares at his brother. It's not the first time he liked to date some girl at camp, but it's the first time Connor tell him something like this. An advice, a warning if more precise. They both know this is not going to be some teenage love for them to laugh at, but the one that you consider to take a long shot. The one that will either end up being soulmates or give you a heartbreak.

"Yeah, I know." Travis replied weakly, though they aren't twins, they work in each other's mind like one.

-Katie-

She sits up in her bed, remembering Travis already opened the lock of her door and mention a surprise. Is it a prank? But he is not the kind that will give a preview of his prank. Katie dragged herself to the bathroom, get ready for the day, she looked at the mirror and froze. A strand of her hair, mix with brown and gold, is braided at the back of her head, she supposes this is the surprise Travis told her. She took a closer look and noticed it's a little messy because she had been stirring in her bed, so she redoes it and let the rest of her hair down. If he did the hair style for her, she better keep it, also she thinks it's sweet for him to do this. Katie put on the camp shirt and white shorts since it's July.

"You changed your hair style?" Miranda asked her.

"Oh yeah, I thought having some change." She kept the fact that Travis did this to herself. Sometimes those acts let her feels like a love-struck teenager, or maybe she is one?

"You are smiling."

"Hm?"

"You're usually grumpy in the morning, and now you are all good mode. So, what happened last night?" Miranda smirked at her.

"Travis asked me to the fireworks." Katie whispered to Mir, not wanting someone eavesdropping their conversation.

"Whoa. That is something worth smiling about. You said yes, right?"

"Of course." She gives her a 'are you joking' look.

"Thank Gods, it will be—" Miranda's voice fade into the background the moment Katie turn her head and they looked into each other's eyes. Katie stood still for a second, giving Travis a small smile after snapping out, an action to tell him she like his surprise. Words pass between their eyes. She noticed they're starting to have these moments; they could read the other person from their eyes or actions. She saw Travis let out a chuckle after getting her message, her heart missed a beat when she can tell he's happy and laughed at the fact she kept the style he did for her. It's not the smirk or the troublemaker smile, it's the kind of smile with full heart when you find somethings worth it.

"Katie? What's wrong? You are not listening." Miranda poked her.

"Nothing, just spacing out."

"Anyways, you need to prepare a bikini."

"Why?"

"Did you forget? The fireworks are at the beach, so of course you are going to wear a bikini. Letting Travis drop his jaw is just a bonus." She usually go to the fireworks with T-shirt and shorts, the idea of wearing a bikini is thrilling even for her.

"Fine. Just promise you'll help me."

"Absolutely."

*Demeter pic 🌾

It's seven now, I shouldn't eat that much at the dinner, Katie mentally cursed herself. She looked at the mirror of her wearing the green bikini Miranda suggested and a white botton-up shirt as jacket. She is still uncomfortable about showing up in front of everyone in a bikini so she bottoned the shirt. Not that she didn't went to the fireworks by the each before, she's just never this 'dress up' for the event. "Green brings out your eyes" she quoted Mir, but seriously, she never seen someone in a green bikini, like ever. Picking up the hair curler she borrowed from Piper, Katie began to work her hair, making the hair style Travis did a few days ago, figure he might like it. Gods, now she feels like a fifteen-year-old girl going on her first date. The problem is she did regard this whole going to fireworks with Travis thing as a date, she just didn't know if Travis thinks the same.

Then, someone knocks on her door. "Come in." She yelled from the bathroom.

"You don't even check who's knocking?" The owner of the voice poked his head in the bathroom, Katie looks at the reflection in the mirror. Travis' wearing a swimming pants and a plain white T-shirt, she can tell the shirt is a little small for him, the muscles from years of training is popping out. She won't be surprise of the shirt is ripped the next minute. "Done staring?" He smirked.

"Get out the bathroom and wait." Katie snapped.

"Um hm, do you know you're blushing, Katie-kat?" Screw it, she can tell the heat coming from her cheeks.

As soon as she finished all the preparing and walk out the bathroom, Travis turned and look at her, "Did you wear a swim suit?"

"I did, but—"

"Then why botton up the shirt?"

"Fine." She undone the bottons, showing her green bikini and look up to see his reaction. Travis is secretly staring at her, running his eyes from head to toe and back to her eyes.

"Done staring?" Katie let him taste his own medicine. He scrunched his nose and let out a sigh. Does he not like the clothes? She thought if someone's staring it's means they think you look nice or breathtaking, literally.

"You know what, keep the bottons on." He walked towards her and reach out his hand, carefully botton up her shirt. Katie held her breathe, afraid if she moves a single hair, his hand will touch her. She should tell him back off and did this by herself. She didn't. Katie tried to open her mouth, and she did, but nothing came out. Travis finished and took a step back, he starts to stare at blank spaces. The air between them is thicker than ever, none of them dare to spoke first.

"Why?" Katie decided to break the silence.

"What?"

"Why botton up the shirt? You don't like the swim suit?" She is still a little embarrassed to say the exact words 'bikini' to him. Her voice almost broke just to say out the last sentence.

"No! I like it. It's just—"

"Just?"

"Idon'twantotherstoseeit." Travis murmured a bunch of words under his breathe.

"What?" If she is confused before then she is clueless right now.

"I don't want others to see you in those clothes." He lowered his head and didn't look at her.

"Oh." Realization hit her.

"Let's go, the fireworks' about the start." Travis rushed towards the door, looking like a frighten animal. He stopped in front of the cabin door waiting for her to catch up while she grabs her phone, figured she might want to take some pictures.

They reach to the beach where everyone gathers, Katie felt people kept giving glances and murmuring about her and Travis showing up together.

"Katie and Travis comes together, did you see that!" "Holy Hades!" "Are they dating or something?" "Who ask who out?"

She wants to scream 'no one is dating' or 'no one ask anyone out', but she didn't; instead, she just keep her pace walking behind Travis. Apparently, he knows where they are going because he stopped at a spot with picnic mat on the sand, to her surprise, this is the spot where everyone wants to get went it comes to watching the July forth fireworks.

"You did this." She wasn't asking. Travis nodded, he's oddly quiet since they got out her room, maybe he is still awkward about the fact he showed his jealous about other guys will see her in bikini she wore for him. "Hey." For the first time this evening, he looked her in the eyes. "What's wrong?"

"The things I said in your room—"

"It's okay, I didn't feel uncomfortable. If that's what you are worried about?" She said softly, Katie can slightly guess what he's thinking about from the way he is trying to keep the distance between them. And she said 'trying' because she kept closing up the space.

"So it's fine with you if I asked you to open your shirt and sit beside me here?" Travis put on his smirk and she can tell now he is flirting with her. Good that he is back to his normal self, bad is she have to deal with the stupid part of that self.

Katie decided to strike back. The flirting part that is.

She didn't utter a word but slowly unbutton her shirt, she heard some guys around them letting out wolf-whistles. Though she is feeling disgusting by their act, she didn't say anything because she knew Travis will deal with it. He ended up eying daggers at them. She sits down on the mat, pulling her knees to her chest, arms hugging around them. Patting at the space next to her, Katie gestured him to sit down.

The moment he settled himself beside her, she can feel the skin where they almost touch is inching. The atmosphere is too tense, this new way of interacting with each other make her overwhelmed. Her heart is beating in an inhuman speed and the feelings towards the boy sitting next to her is clearer that crystal.

Just as she is deep in her thoughts, the first burst of fireworks tonight light up the sky. Katie stared at the sky in admiration, not noticing Travis' attention is all on her. When she sensed him poking her arm, she turns to face him. Travis held out his hands as an invitation, Katie, like bewitched, pull the arm which is closer to him, from where they are resting and place it on top of his. At first his didn't said anything, they just sit there looking up at the sky. But when the fireworks' about to finish, he sucked in a breath and she can tell he is forming words in his head.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Cabin 9 out done themselves again." He chuckled. She doesn't know what to reply, so Katie just nods her head. Suddenly, he laced their fingers together, she snapped her head towards him. Travis looking straight into the sky, the only response she got is a little squeeze coming from his hand. That little squeeze went right through her heart, also give it a little squeeze.

After all the fireworks aren't the only thing that explodes tonight.

Katie found herself looking at their intertwined hands, smiling. Her small hands fit perfectly in his big ones; she can feel the hard corns on his hands that shows the amount of time he's holding a sword. She pulled out her phone a snap a picture, Travis raised his eyebrow at the sound of the camera, and looked at her but didn't say anything. Then, Katie starts to draw small circles in his palms with her fingers, she can't tell why but she feels like she needs to do this right now. Travis tensed under her touch for a second then let out a small laugh, she smiled for how good of his laughter sound. The two of them sit under the starry night sky silently, enjoying the company and each other's warmth coming from the jointed hands.

"Do you guys want to come to the after-party?" They turn to their back at the voice. Percy and Annabeth standing behind them, looking amused at the sight. Katie wanted to pulling her hand out of his but Travis gripped tightly, not letting it go. She stared at him with wide-opened eyes, Travis just stares at her in return, telling her 'No' as an answer.

"You're going?"

"What?"

"The after-party Percy just asked few seconds ago?"

"Oh yeah I'll go."

"Good, nine at Cabin 3." Percy informed them.

"Copy that." Travis said.

"Oh, and we told Chiron about this so you can have sleep over if you don't mind." Annabeth added.

"Um, we'll see." Katie said, she doesn't need more people fussing next morning about she and Travis cuddling. The couple giggled and wave them goodbye.

"So, there is plenty of time before the after party..." Travis unlocked their hands and stood up, her heart dropped at the disconnect and the lack of warmth. Then Travis holds out his hand at her the second time this night.

"You are trying say?" She picked it and stands up. She smiled in her mind at the fact he isn't refuse to hold hands, again.

"And we are wearing swimming suit..." He took one step closer till their bodies almost pressed with another, pasting the troublemaker smile on him, not a good sign.

"No!" She can tell what his is planning to do. "Travis Stoll, I dare—" The next moment she felt her feet leaving the ground. Katie is been throw on Travis shoulder and they are walking to the ocean. Everyone is snickering at the drama displaying in front of them.

"Hey!" She smacked his back and knee him in the stomach. "Put me down!"

"Too late!" The coldness of the salt water soak into her bones. It took her a few seconds to steady herself, the white shirt is now damped and sticking on her skin. Katie looked up and saw Travis standing in front of her, chuckling at a head-to-toe-wet Katie-kat, then she noticed that the water is only up to his knees and his upper body is completely dry. Katie sticks out her foot and tripped Travis into the water. He let out a yelp and make a splash while he landed in the water with his back. She laughed as he stumbled out the water, and stopped when she saw girls behind them giggling and pointing at him. The white shirt did a good job being absolute attached to his body, showing everyone how fine he is. Though she only sees the front, which is amazing; Katie doesn't doubt how good the back looks.

She practically dragged him out of the water and throw the towel which he put with the picnic mat at the first place on him.

"Look who is jealous now." He lowers his head and whispered to her ears.

"If you're not using it then give it to me."

"Why don't we just go to your room." She gave him an odd look. "I put some dry clothes when I went there earlier."

"I didn't see it."

"You were busy staring at me and doing your hair." Travis smirked.

"And now you just ruined my hair." She decided to ignore the 'busy staring at him' part.

"I saw you do the style I did a few days ago." He said after they head to the Cabin area. So he did notice. She sends him a sideway look, trying hard to push down the corner of her lips.

They walk into the cabin together; luckily her siblings were either asleep or not back yet. The two quickly walk past the bunks and Travis opened the locked door. Katie found a small pile of clothes on her desk that she didn't notice an hour ago. She grabbed her own dry clothes and towel from her drawer and rush to the bathroom.

"I'm going to change my clothes so no funny business." She one-sided inform him and shut the bathroom door.

When they are fresh up and walking to Cabin 3, which is just on the opposite side of hers, Travis asked. "Did you want to sleep over?"

"Let's first see who is at the party." She sighed. Let's just hope nothing wrong will happen at this party.

Another long chapter finished There will be surprises in the next one!

I think my writing style changed, hopefully in the good way~

-Elva