tratie one shots, vol. i

[ the call ]

this is another song one shot, so i'd recommend listening to the song while you read! narnia has always been near and dear to my heart, so writing this felt right. sorry it's not a request, but i was particularly inspired to write something sad, lol.

genre: idk, sad? emotional?

words: 676

. . .

Travis stared at Katie with longing in his heart. He'd never expected it to end like this - standing together at the bottom of Half-blood Hill in bittersweet silence.

This was it.

His whole life with Katie - the one he hadn't expected to happen - ended all too soon. He'd let hope grow loud in his chest, hope for their future together. Hope for an adventure of domestic romance together. A movie night on the couch, maybe. An apartment eventually, perhaps.

Maybe a ring.

But this was goodbye.

"Katie, I-"

She ran into his arms without letting him finish, tears streaking her face and bleeding onto his shirt. Her shaky breaths broke Travis' wall of emotions, and he felt a teardrop slip down his own face. Ugly sobs had been exchanged between the two many a time, but not anything like now.

Change was inevitable, but it was so, so hard.

Travis' college career was his only hope of leading a life he wanted. He'd dreamed all his life of being a history teacher, just like Chiron had pretended to be to find demigods. That way, he could help future demigods the way he'd been helped.

But that meant leaving.

"I love you," she wept.

"I know, I love you, too." He sniffled into her collarbone. "So much."

The first time they'd been on the hill together, they were only children. He was chasing her with a rubber snake, she was screaming bloody murder. From that point, they'd been enemies.

But change was inevitable.

Their first kiss was on the hill. They were sitting under Thalia's Pine, her reading a book about photosynthesis and him stroking her hair. They'd been unofficially dating for a few months, but all it amounted to was hanging out and maybe hugging every once in a while. But Travis knew in his heart that Katie was all he'd ever wanted, and he was sure of how he felt.

So, he'd leaned over and kissed her.

She'd been surprised and didn't move, and Travis freaked out. So, he backed away. He opened his mouth to apologize, but his words were swallowed as Katie swooped in to kiss him again.

They'd been inseparable since.

Their first emotional breakdown was on the hill. Katie had been summoned to the Big House because her family called to tell Chiron that her brother had been in a car accident. He was in a coma. Katie had run out to the hill where Travis awaited her with open arms, and they sobbed together. Even after they found out her brother had woken up, he cried for her.

Change was inevitable, but he was staying with her.

Their first reuniting was on the hill. The war against Kronos had been won, and he searched everywhere for her in Manhattan with no luck. He was worried, even if he hadn't heard about any Demeter child dying in the battle.

Still, he worried for her.

He was sitting on the hill, watching every demigod come back to camp. Finally, Katie appeared over the crest, and he ran to her. He hugged her, he kissed her, he told her he loved her. Crying hadn't been more joyful.

He loved her so, so much.

Travis stood at the foot of the hill he'd once called the entrance to his home. The place he'd always call home in his heart.

His home, the one with Katie.

He'd never leave her emotionally or mentally, even if he would be physically away.

"I'll come back anytime you call me."

"I love you, Trav."

"Love you too, Kates."

So many moments had been shared on that hill, both good and bad. But he knew he would never forget them, and he'd never forget Katie. Their relationship was the best thing that had happened to him, and he had no intention of letting that go.

"Bye." The leftovers of her tears stained her face, and Travis reached out to wipe her cheek.

"I'll be back. This isn't goodbye."

He'd be back.

No need to say goodbye.