this is based off of that headcanon i posted a while back: that the new campers all think katie and travis are dating. it's a short blurb but i thought it was cute, lol.
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"So, that's cabin three." The camp's tour guide, Travis, guided Laurel past the beachy cabin. He chuckled when she heard someone bumping around and yelping inside. "Don't let Percy fool you - he may seem clumsy and goofy, but he can tear you up in a split second."
Laurel's eyes widened. So far, her experience at camp was less than hopeful - she'd had a bad run-in with a girl named Clarisse, an unfortunate mishap with the Apollo cabin during their poetry session, and she struggled to grasp Travis' sarcasm throughout the camp tour. He'd prefaced the tour by saying he was able to get new campers to laugh and fool around the second they met, but Laurel had been less than impressed with his antics.
She hoped she wasn't a child of Hermes.
"What's that one?"
Travis followed Laurel's gesture towards the next cabin in line. He rolled his eyes dramatically and scoffed at the girl who stood on the front porch, watering the hanging plants on the overhang.
The son of Hermes grumbled, "That's cabin four. Demeter."
Laurel glanced at him before taking some steps towards it. "Well, you said you were the best tour guide out there... care to actually do your job? Tell me about it."
As they approached the steps of the cabin, Travis slowed down. The girl glanced up and found his eyes, smiling lightly before her face morphed into a steely glare. Her eyes flitted to Laurel for a split second before fixating back on Travis.
"Katie-kat."
"Stoll."
The two stared at each other with faux annoyance, and Laurel decided they must have been together.
The seemingly-unbreakable eye contact between them was cut short by Laurel clearing her voice. "So, uh... Demeter's the goddess of the harvest, right?"
Katie warily nodded. "Uh-huh... who are you?"
"Laurel. I'm new."
"What are you doing with Travis?"
She opened her mouth to explain, but Travis butt in.
"When will you learn, Katie dearest?" He jabbed a proud thumb at himself. "I'm the best tour guide on earth! Laurel is lucky to have such a witty, funny guide."
Katie's deadpan expression told Laurel she must've thought otherwise, and she sent a frown her way. "I'm sorry you have to deal with him. The rest of the camp isn't like him, I promise."
Travis laughed with an easygoing demeanor, further consolidating Laurel's theory. "That's right - I'm original and unique. Katie gets to experience that firsthand."
The girl on the porch shook her head and sent her eyes to the sky. "Original and unique... those are some words, I guess."
She faced Laurel with a forced grin as she stared past her probable boyfriend. "I hope you get claimed soon so you don't have to be with Travis much longer. I know I'd scratch my eyes out if I had to wake up to him every morning."
"You wish, Katie-kat."
Laurel nodded with uncertainty at Katie. "Okay, thanks."
Smirking, Travis moved to go to the next cabin in line. Laurel smiled at Katie one last time before turning to go with him.
"Your girlfriend's funny."
Apparently, that wasn't the logical thing to say.
Spinning around on his heels, Travis furrowed his brow and jumped all over her observance. "No, what? We're not together!"
"Ew, what made you think that?" Katie stepped down from the porch, as they were still within earshot.
Laurel raised an eyebrow. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
"No," Travis said, incredulous.
"We're not together," Katie confirmed again. "We're more like sworn enemies."
"Yeah, that."
Laurel had clearly established a new awkward bond between the "enemies". She shrugged. "Okay, whatever you say. Sorry about that."
"Yeah."
As Travis walked away with a much quicker pep to his step, Laurel glanced back at Katie. The daughter of Demeter gazed longingly at Travis' back, and Laurel knew in her heart of hearts that she had been right.
They were definitely together.