Ω An invitation and a part of you Ω
-Katie-
It's two weeks after the night Travis asked her out on a date; and being a dick he is, he hasn't told her anything about it. No time, no lactation, nothing. Katie thinks he has a thing for deadlines; last time, he asked her for the fireworks three days before the event. And if he didn't fulfill that damn date promise this week, he is going to be actually dead while Connor is about to lose his precious bother. She has been giving him silence treatment every night for the last few weeks, normally they will chat a little about the day, share something with each other or simply cuddle. But as Katie realized he has no intention to work on his promise, she stopped talking to him, and now she even doesn't let him put his arms around her.
His actions told her, and she's very sure they aren't her imagination, that he like her more than just a friend. No one ask a friend out on a date, or feel jealous for them. He just made her heart sway as high as plane and drop it in the deep water afterwards.
What kind of guy asked a girl if they can take her out on a date and doesn't make a move after? For half a month!
She brushed her hair over and over while thinking all these. Travis Stoll is now on fucking thin ice.
After she saw the Stolls went back to their cabin after breakfast, she knocks on their door. When Travis answered the door, Katie just ignored him and shout to the room asked if Connor is in here. Though Travis looks pissed, she doesn't want to talk to him, so she didn't show any emotion on her face when he stared at her and mentally talking to her. Why in Hades are you here finding my brother, his eyes screamed. Connor welcome her to their room while Travis bumped her in the shoulder and went in as she passed the door way.
"So, what can I help?" Connor said, at the same time, Travis decided to change his clothes while she is in the room, in front of her. She looked, for a second or more, at his muscular back and the way the muscles move under his skin. Then she cursed herself.
You're here to accuse him for being an ass, not drooling over him!
"Can you tell your brother to keep his promise?" Katie slowly moved her eyes away as she spoke to Connor sweetly, not caring the fact the person she is mentioning about is in the same room with them. And she is daydreaming about sleeping in his arms at the other part of her brain, the 'crushing real hard on Travis Stoll' part.
"What did you do or not do this time?" Connor turned his head and glare, rolling his eyes, sounds like he wants to straggle his stupid brother. Just like her.
"I..." Travis started to protest.
"You shut up." Katie silent him. "Please tell him if he didn't do it this week, he will become a corpse and you will lose your partner in crime." She saw from the corner of her eyes Travis gulped at her statement.
"Wait, what did he promise you?" Connor asked. Oh, so Travis hasn't told him, and now he just makes her a prefect chance to embarrass him.
"He didn't tell you, he asked me—"
"I asked her out on a date!" He blurted before she could, pity.
"At the fireworks." Katie added.
"Dude! Are you crazy? What in Hades are you doing these time?" Connor yelled at Travis. "Gods, you're so died." He's super disappointed at Travis.
She sighed. "I'm finished. Please educate him this whole... you know." Then she left the room, wishing Travis will officially ask her out tonight.
-Travis-
"I asked her, she said yes. Then I don't know want to do." He began to tell his story.
"You had girlfriends before?"
"We usually don't date.... just like make out?" Connor dropped his face in his palms, feeling extra tired. "Can you give me some ideas...?"
"Now I even don't want to save you from becoming a corpse..." He murmured.
"Please..."
"Just sneak her out or something? Ah, use the quota given by Chiron, no need to sneak."
"You forget? Mom will ask us to going back at August."
"Sneak out."
"Hey, you know what, maybe I'll just take her out on a picnic or something?"
"In camp?" Travis nodded. "You're no fun." He shrugged. "She's looking at you." Connor said before they left the cabin.
"Hm?"
"When you are changing earlier." He blushed.
*
He had a plan. First, he went to the forest; after finding what he was looking for, Travis goes to the camp store and almost empty the whole shop for the things he needs. Then he clicked his phone, making check on both his and Katie's plans for tomorrow.
Knowing he can't wait till tonight; he starts to search for Katie this afternoon; asking nearly everyone he cross path with, where Katie is. When someone, more than one person, told him his is the one who always know where she is, he just flipped them off. After almost roaming the whole camp, Travis found Katie at the archery range practicing, she stared murderously at the target, aim, then release. He watched her from behind for ten shots before he tapped on her shoulders, as she reached for another arrow.
"Hey." She turned around, pointing the arrow at his head. After knowledge it's him, she doesn't care to lower her aim down.
"What are you doing here." She said in deadpanned.
"It's dangerous to point an arrow at a person." He told her dryly, like she really doesn't know the fact.
"Yeah, I know that. That's why I'm doing it." She smirked.
"I'm sorry..." He started.
"For?"
"Haven't take you out.... on the date I promise." She tilted her head and raised one side of her eyebrow. He suddenly realized how she felt, a boy asked her out then hang her at the cliff waiting. When he was troubling at what to plan for the date, she is losing hope at him. Gods, now he feels like he's a dick, this is worse than ever. "I'll make it up with you." Then he showed her the puppy eyes. Is there any person who can resist puppy eyes? Exactly the blue ones? The answer is no. Her facial expression visibly softens.
"And what are you going to do?"
"Still figuring." He scratched at the back of his neck. Of course, he had it all planned out but he wants to keep it a surprise.
"Whatever, are you still taking me out? Because if not, you are going to be died, like not breathing, by the end of the week." She threatens him. "I told you this morning."
"Do you have plans tomorrow afternoon?" Travis asked her, gulped at the arrow which is still pointing at his head. He actually knew she has Ancient Greek at that time, he's just grasping the chance of her skipping so she can go with him.
"I'm free." She answered after thinking.
"Then meet me here tomorrow at 2."
"The archery range?" She sounds confused. The truth is that this is the only place in camp where you can sneak in the forest without getting noticed, which is very important for his plan.
"Yes."
"Okay." Katie turned back facing the target and narrows her eye, she let go the arrow after aiming. Bullseye.
"What are you thinking when you're aimming?" Katie followed his glaze to the target which is now full of arrows she shot earlier.
"The target as your stupid face." She flashed him a smile while Travis let out a dry smile.
She ended the silence treatment for Travis that night, and let him cuddle her. He might or might not have said out loud that he missed this; and she might have snuggled in closer.
-Katie-
By 1:30 on the day of their 'very delayed' first date, Katie still couldn't figure what Travis is planning to do. So, she did what a normal girl who is going out on a date will do: wear a dress. Though no girl in camp wears one during actives, they will have one in case there is a party or something, it will be sad if you had an opportunely to wear it but not having one. She slipped herself in the white floral dress (typical Demeter, she knew), braid her hair in the way Travis liked and strapped her dagger on her right thigh. Who knows, maybe she still needs to kill someone. She opened the door and saw Miranda standing outside, with the stupid grin on her face.
"A dress?"
"What?" She snapped.
"Nothing, just have a nice date!"
She turned around. "Who told you?"
"Connor."
"Of course..." She sighed.
"What's wrong? You guys already kissed, just tell him you like him and boom, boyfriend girlfriend." Miranda said with a clap.
"But he... delayed this whole date thing like two weeks?" She said nervously, telling her sister what she's worrying about the pass few days. "Maybe it's like a heat of a moment thing? Maybe he doesn't really want to go out with me."
"And maybe he just doesn't know what to do on a date."
"Hm?"
"Connor told me he doesn't know what to do for dates."
"He had girlfriends before?"
"And he said they usually just make out." Miranda made a gag face.
"Oh."
"Come on, just give him a try. Perhaps you guys will start dating this summer!" Miranda sound excited, but it seems like for other reasons, she can't tell why. (Yeah, it's the betting pool)
"Anyway, I heading out." She waved at Miranda and make her way to the archery range, carefully not be spot by someone. It will be hard to explain since she is wearing a dress. The range is empty when she arrived, then she saw Travis at the edge of the forest, she jogged to him.
"I'm late?" She asked him nervous, looking at the watch on his wrist. This has become a habit, looking at his watch for time; sometimes she turns her head at him then he will automatically raise his arm, let her take a look.
"No," He chuckled, "I was early." He looked at her for a few moments before she speaks, "You look nice, I like the dress."
"Thanks, you look good too, but there's —" she tip-toed and run her fingers through his hair, a few leaves drifted down through the air. Then she stepped back, taking in his outfit: a grey short sleeves hoodie and jean. She is going to be a sucker for short sleeves hoodies, gods, the way the clothes hug his biceps.... She stared at his upper arms dreamily, not noticing Travis is looking at her concerning.
"What's wrong?" He asked her nervously.
"Hm? Oh, nothing. What are we doing?" Sapping out her daydreaming at his body, she remembered she still doesn't know what he planned to do.
"Do you bring your weapons?"
"Dagger." She pats at her right thigh.
"Good, we are going in the forest," He paused, looking at her reaction, "... for picnic."
"That's why there's leaves in your hair?" He blushed.
"Guess you're okay with the idea." He murmured. "You know how to climb a tree, right?" She stared at him like he is crazy. Asking her if she can climb a tree is like asking him if he can open a locked door. "Ah right, Demeter powers." He laughed.
"But you said picnic, why need to climb— no way!" An idea shot through her head, a fact that she forgot over these years.
"Wait for a second then you'll see." He smirked. He held out his hand at her, she looked at it for a second then slip hers into his. They walk silently in the forest, till they end up standing in front of a tree house.
There's a behind story of this. Years ago, in one capture the flag games, Hermes and Demeter were in the same team; the two of them were pair up for scouting since Travis is fast and Katie is a Demeter. But they get lost in the woods (literally shame of a Demeter); however, they find this tree house in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't in a very nice state when they took a look at that time, but they thought if they can come back and clean up, it will be a nice place for the group to hangout or something. So they tried to search it the next day, but still no luck with the following week; eventually they stopped trying and forget about this place.
"How did you—?" Katie said in awed.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you later, let's first get up there." He looks at the house like he is sick of climbing the tree, again. The thing about this tree house, there's no ladder, it's not hard to tell that's built by the Demeter kids years ago. If you want to go in, you either climb the tree or bring a person who can control the trees with you. Katie called down a branch of the tree which is not supporting the house, they stand on it and she lifts them up to the door. He opened it and gestured her to step in.
The place that was once full of dust and spiderweb is now all cleaned up, there's little lights and decoration at the corner of the room. In the middle is a low table and two sitting mats at each side; on the table are two glasses filling with maybe it's champagne? Alone with some homemade cookies while candles flicking in the middle. Seeing a few ropes at the corner, Katie guessed Travis used them to pull up all the things.
"So, do you like it?" He waved at the room and asked her.
"Very much, tell me how you find it!"
"I decided to the take you here and went searching yesterday. The funny thing is, it only took me twenty minutes to find it but forty minutes to climb up and down. Then I clean this place up, decorate it earlier this morning."
"Wow... How did we miss it before?"
"No idea. But I swear I'll never come here without you again, climbing a tree is exhausting as shit."
"Good excuse to bring me here, Trav."
"Now it's Trav when we are private?" He looked at her, eyes sparking.
"Maybe." She hummed. "Are those homemade cookies?" She pointed the plate of food.
"By my mom," Katie send him a confuse look, how did he get fresh homemade cookies? "I used to magic plate." That's how. "My mom always have these when we go back, Connor and I will watch movies while having those cookies. Give it a try." She picked one and ended up eating half of the plate.
"You mother is nice to you?" Katie looked up and asks after finishing her cookies. She never had a good parent figure; she wants to know what's like to having a caring mother or father. Travis moves himself behind her and untie her hair, she felt her hair loosen and spread on her shoulders. Then he run his finger through them and starts to braid them.
"She is the best mother you can possibly get when you have this weird side of the family."
"Tell me more about her."
"She knows about the whole 'gods' thing and still tolerate us; I mean we are not all good shoes during our childhood. She always calls us back at the summer to celebrate her birthday, so we won't miss it." Travis starts to talk while braiding her hair in a new style (she can tell by the way his hands move behind her), he keeps tell her about his mother alone with some childhood memories.
"I wish I can see her one day." Katie said when Travis finished a story about his mother saving them from going to boarding school. He opened his legs and set them beside her, ending his process on her hair.
"I think she will love you more than she loved me and Connor combined." He chuckled behind her. Then he takes out his phone and snapped a picture of her hair, showing her his work.
"Do you practice or something?" She asked him. He hummed in agree.
"My sister is tired of being my Barbie."
"I like it, send it to me." Katie takes a close look and spoke. "Let's play 20 questions but with a little change. I ask you a question about myself and you answer, until one of us get it wrong."
"What's the punishment?"
"Some old rules, give another person something?" She suggested. "You go first."
-Travis-
"My favorite color?" He asked her. Katie's still sitting in his arms, but an eager person he is, he wishes for more. He snakes his arms around her waist, looking for her reaction, when she didn't slap his arms away, he is dancing for celebration in his head.
"Blue." She answered without missing a beat.
"More detail."
"Ice blue, so blue that it could have reflection." Travis swear he could hear the words behind it. Like your eyes. She turned her head and he lower his, they just look into each other's soul in silence. "Mine?" She asked him, breaking the eye contact and turn back.
"Green, like grass." She nodded. "But don't you think it's too predictable, too Demeter?" He teased her.
"I just like it. Not my problem." She pouted.
"Yes yes, anything you say princess." He felt her stiffed for a second under his arms when he said the nickname. "You don't like it?" He asked her.
"No, just... surprised." He saw her ears turned red alone with her cheeks.
"Hmm. My favorite prank."
"This is hard! Err, my hair dye highlight?" She guessed after thinking for a few minutes, probably run through all those pranks he pulls off these years.
"Bingo. And you know why?" Katie shook her head before he let out a small laugh. "Because it looks good on you." A rush of heat come up to her cheeks, he can feel her body slowly sinking into his embrace.
"My turn. My first crush." She is wearing a smug face, daring him to guess.
"Will Solace?" He recalls a memory deep in his head of her gushing about Will.
"Pay up." She smirked.
"What!? Wait, tell me who is it. But you do have a crush on him, right?"
"Uh hm, but he's like the second one, not the first one. So, wrong answer."
"You are not going to tell me who is it."
"Nope."
He sighed. "It's not fair, you are literally in my arms right now." He murmured and giving her a puppy eyes even she isn't looking.
"I hear you." She sends him a pointed look.
"What do you want?" He sounds defeated. They both know he will give her anything and all she has to do is ask.
"Emm. Your hoodie." He paused for a second, he thought he is hallucinating.
"Hoodie?"
"The black one." She even specify the color.
"Okay?" He wants to ask her why but figured she won't answer, he just swallows it.
"But I thought you will last longer." She said after they sat in silence for a while.
"That sentence sound a little..." He trailed off, in dirty mind.
"Shut up."
"Why hoodie?" He finally blurted.
"Emm. Promise you won't laughed."
"Promise."
"I like the smell." He gives her a question look. "Your clothes have this mint smell on it, I like it. I'm not being a perv or something, it's just smell nice and having it will be like having you by my side? No, that's not what I mean, how do I let it sound normal?" Katie starts to rambling and he look at her in amusement, thinking not only him notice this whole 'scent' thing about each other. The mint smell is from the shampoo he uses.
"I get it, I'll give you the hoodie today." He laughed softly.
"What about you, what are you going to ask if you win?" She turned and asked him. He thought about the things he wants to get from her once she did the proposal so he give her the answer he prepared.
"Your time."
"For?"
"A second date." He said in dead panned.
"You don't need to win this dumb game to have a second date." She laughed.
"I'm being serious here." He pouted.
"I grant you the chance to have a second date with me. Since I like the first one." Katie said in a dramatic tone while poking his cheek.
"Well thank you Ma'am. Do you have any requests?"
"Somewhere outside camp?"
"And here I thought you are not a rule breaker." He said in a joking way.
"Oh, you know, I broke several rules with you actually." She said proudly.
"And you sound proud." He pointed. "Guess I'm rubbing you off." He smirked.
"That you are." She sighed, looking down at his wrist which is placing on her torso. She is looking at the time. He raises it up to her eye level, then she tensed for a second before laughing in her throat.
"It's almost 6, let's go back. Also, I can't show up with dress at dinner."
*
The next day Katie showed up in his hoodie, it looks extra big on her small frame. And Travis made up his mind to let the girl wear his clothes more often (in the future).
I also like the idea of having a treehouse in the forest so I put it in.
Katie in Travis' hoodie!🫠
We are in countdown~
Ps. I'm planning for my next PJ fanfic!
-Elva