i was going to wait until midnight to post this so i could stick to my monday/friday schedule, but screw it because i love this shot and want y'all to read it lol.
this shot is a request shot of jealous travis! sorry i made it two parts, i felt like it deserved it lol. hope you enjoy!
requested by the lovely frathebookworm
words: 1433
. . .
Travis Stoll was not dating Katie Gardner.
They weren't in the slightest bit together in any sense. But, the way they treated each other informed everyone that they were off the market. Between the constant flirting and playful arguments, all the campers knew they wouldn't fall for anyone but each other. Most of the time, people forgot they weren't an item.
Sometimes, Travis himself forgot.
So, when the new camper sat next to Katie at campfire with all but pure intentions, they were all baffled.
"Hi," he began, settling much too close to her for Travis' liking.
But, since he'd only been at camp for a day, she only slid an inch or so away instead of flooring him like Travis thought she would've. "Uh, hi?"
"So, uh... it's a good thing I brought my library card, because I'm totally checking you out."
Travis tensed up.
That was his pickup line! Who did this kid think he was?
Some of the campers overhearing the conversation dropped their own chatter to a minimum to see what would happen. A few cast glances over to the Stoll, waiting to see if he would react. Fortunately for him, he was a master of covering up, so his face remained impassive.
On the inside, however, he was rampaging.
Katie's eyes traveled over to Travis. She knew that was his line, too. She should've been familiar with it - she was the one he used it on just last week. A glimmer of a smile appeared on her mouth at the memory, but it quickly vanished when she turned back to the kid.
"Um, nice try, but I'm not interested." Katie's face showed that she was uncomfortable, and Travis would've moved to protect her if he didn't know she was incredibly capable of protecting herself. She was probably just letting him down nice.
The kid - Brady, if Travis remembered correctly - frowned. "I thought that was a good one. Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from."
Katie opened her mouth to respond with a much drier comment than earlier, but he stalked off to sit with some of the Dionysus kids he'd been talking to earlier that night.
Travis took that opportunity to slide onto the log next to Katie where Brady had previously been, and when she turned to him, she jumped.
"Gods, I thought you were Brady again."
"Nope, I'm the guy you prefer."
His grin spread to her face, giving him a feeling of accomplishment. But she soon rolled her eyes to look away.
"Whatever, I don't like either of you," she joked, and a smile still lingered on her lips.
"Say what you want, Katie-kat. I know the truth."
The next morning, Travis was tasked with giving Brady the rundown of the breakfast process. He'd been glad that Connor was taking care of the new kid mostly, but today he had to pitch in. Since he hadn't been claimed yet, it was their responsibility to welcome him into their cabin. Travis had steered clear of him since the campfire, though, knowing that he'd risk snapping at him. Travis Stoll, carefree and nonchalant, didn't snap at people. So, he kept his distance.
Not today, though.
"Hey, that Katie girl..." Brady started as they got in line a few people behind her. "What's her deal?"
Travis wrinkled his nose and tried to distract himself by piling his plate high with junky breakfast foods. "What do you mean?"
"She's cute. Is she single?"
At that, the Stoll felt a twinge of something in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Sadness, maybe? He knew Katie deserved a guy better than Brady, who didn't seem to have taken her hint from last night. But Travis pasted a smile onto his face and shrugged. Katie would take care of it if she wanted to. (He prayed to the gods that she would.)
"Yeah, I guess she is."
"Cool, thanks. I might go for her." Brady went on through the line as if he hadn't just crushed Travis' spirits like a grape.
Though he maintained an undisturbed presence at the Hermes table, Travis' head reeled at how many times the new kid glanced over his shoulder at Katie. Every once in a while, they'd make eye contact, and Katie would quickly look away with indifference. So, Travis felt special when she'd catch eyes with him and smile. At him. Not Brady.
Him.
"Hey, Trav." Katie walked by the Hermes table as she went to throw her tray into the washbin, and she even added a flirty giggle after her greeting.
Ha.
"Hey, gorgeous."
Brady's face twisted into a sneer at his reply, and he butted himself in, much to Travis' annoyance. "Hey, Katie. I think there's something wrong with my phone - it doesn't have your number in it."
Though she'd just been passing by, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to say, "Brady, you're a demigod. You can't have a phone."
As she walked away, Travis snorted. Brady cut him a look and sighed. "Do you think she's not into me?"
"That'd be my guess."
He waved his hand. "I'll win her over. Just wait and see."
Travis didn't want to wait and see.
At lunch, Brady went through his same motions - ogling Katie and her every move, eventually gaining the courage to talk to her, and being shut down once more. But he didn't care - he said she was playing hard to get.
"What activity does she have after lunch?" Brady questioned Travis.
He wondered why the kid thought it necessary to ask him all the questions about Katie, but he still hoped that Katie would shout him down or something. Anything.
"She'll be in the strawberry fields, but she gets really mad at people for interrupting her gardening."
"You should know, dude," Connor laughed, "you do it all the time."
Travis grumbled about being the only one allowed to do it, but it went unheard by Brady.
"Well, she's about to get a little more interrupted," the new kid concluded with a smirk.
It boiled Travis' blood to see someone talking so flippantly about Katie's feelings, when she was so clearly not interested in him. All Brady did was trail after her and give her cheesy pickup lines and wait for a reaction.
He complained to Connor, but all he had to say was, "Isn't that what you do?"
That did not help Travis' mood.
The situation picked his brain clean as the week went on, and he could only dwell on the fact that there was someone at camp who flirted with Katie just as much as he did. It wasn't fair; he was supposed to be the only one who could do that with her. They were a thing. Well, unofficially. But still! She was off limits. Brady should've known that.
Why'd he tell him she was single?
Because she is, idiot.
Travis found himself wishing that, for once, he could muster up something serious to say to Katie instead of saying something outrageously scandalous or flirty. Everyone knew they were only joking around. But what if he said something for real?
In the afternoon, Travis wandered his way into the strawberry fields where he knew Katie would be. It was a ritual for the two - he'd stalk up to her and they'd talk for the entire hour she'd be there. They laughed, they flirted, they picked playfully at each other. It was nice.
Travis was willing to bet Katie wouldn't do that with Brady.
"You look great today," he thought aloud, taking in her slightly dirty attire and messy braids from her day's work.
She shrugged lightheartedly and gestured to herself, her face tinged pink from the sun. "Sure. You're not too bad yourself, hot stuff."
His heart thumped. "Better stop calling me that, or people will think we're together or something."
Grinning, she played along with the joke she thought Travis was getting at. "Aren't we, though?"
He blurted, "I'm serious."
Styx.
Her arched eyebrow was only half seen by Travis, seeing as she kept her head turned towards the strawberry plant she was tending to. She laughed - a clear, crystal sound that Travis would've paid to hear again.
Schist, I'm in love with her.
Katie cupped her hand across her forehead to shield her eyes as she looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
As Travis opened his mouth to follow up with - most likely - a declaration of his newfound love for her, a voice butt in. Brady's voice.
"Heya, Katie-kat!"