Soul Mates AU (Heroes of Olympus)

Shall I Kicketh Your Butt?

(Katie's POV)

"Well, I'm sure they won't be long," Connor says, breaking the silence as we all stare at the door.

Rachel and Piper just ran back home for Rachel's phone and left me here alone. In other words, something is obviously up.

Whatever, I trust them.
A little.

"Wanna go outside?" Travis asks, gesturing to the sliding glass door that leads to the backyard.

"Yeah!"

He runs over and beats me to the door, opening it up for me. I smile and walk through. Once I am out the door, I take a look at the backyard and stop walking entirely.

There is a beautiful, deep pond that ripples in the moonlight, littered with little waterlilies. The yard itself is grassy and expansive, but that's not why I stopped walking.

"What?" Travis asks a little nervously, walking up next to me.

"You have a play set?" I ask, pointing to the big play structure sitting in the middle of the yard, complete with swings, twin slides, monkey bars, and more.

"Uh, heh, uh, yeah?"

"Well, come on then, let's go play on it!" I say excitedly, taking him by the hand and rushing over to it. He laughs in relief, and I try not to blush because our hands are touching.

I jump onto one of the swings, starting it moving. He laughs again and climbs up the little rock wall and into a small tower.

"Race me, Katie!" Travis calls from the top of the swing set, sitting at the top of the two slides.

"Is that what those slides are for? Racing?" I laugh, jumping off the swing and climbing up the rock wall.

"Oh, yes. Connor and I made everything a competition when we were younger. That's why there is two of practically everything."

"Well, I see that nothing has changed," I tease, coming and sitting at the top of the other slide.

"Whatever. Are you ready to be pulverized?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question!"

"Alright, on your mark, get set, go!"

I throw myself down the slide, crossing the end at about the same time as Travis.

"Ha! I was a split second before you!" I say, getting up.

"No way! I totally crossed first!"

"Nope, I beat you, Travis."

"Tell it to the judge, Gardner!"

"Let's go again!"

"Eat my dust!" He calls behind him as he jumps halfway up the rock wall. I chase after him, climbing up the firemen's pole and vaulting up onto the top.

Travis gives me applause. "I admire your parkour skill, Miss Gardner."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Stoll. Now, shall I kicketh your butt?"

"In your dreams, m'lady!"

We jump down the slides, landing in a heap at the bottom. We laugh and sit up, and I find myself staring into his eyes. I subtly try and do it in secret.

"Hey, uh, Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you ever want to, uh, hang out sometime?" He asks, scratching the back of his neck.

I nod, smiling. "Yeah, I think that'd be fun."

"Cool, how about a movie?"