Travis Montgomery was pacing back and forth in the small kitchen of Station 19, his nerves completely on edge as he checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. The shift was winding down, but instead of feeling relieved, he was a bundle of nerves. The station had been calm all day—no fires, no emergency calls—just the eerie quiet that allowed his mind to spiral into overdrive.

The reason? Michael Cooper Williams, a firefighter from Station 54 with a heart of gold and a mischievous smile, who also happened to be Travis's boyfriend, was coming to meet him at the station for dinner. On the surface, this was no big deal—Michael had been by the station plenty of times—but tonight, for some reason, Travis couldn't shake the feeling that something was... off.

The lyrics of Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" played on repeat in his head: "You're being too loud... you need to just stop, like can you just not..." He knew he was being ridiculous. Michael was late—only by a few minutes—but in Travis's world, every little thing felt amplified tonight.

"Dude, you're pacing like a caged animal," came a voice from behind him. Dean Miller, one of his closest friends and fellow firefighter, leaned against the counter with a bemused grin on his face. "What's got you so worked up?"

Travis stopped mid-step, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I'm not worked up."

Dean raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Sure, because pacing around the kitchen is totally a chill, normal thing to do."

Travis shot him a look but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. "Okay, fine. I'm worked up. Michael's supposed to be here by now, and he's late."

Dean chuckled. "He's probably stuck in traffic or dealing with some lawyer thing. Relax, man. He'll be here."

Travis nodded, though his anxiety didn't ease. "I know, I know. I'm just... I don't know. Something feels weird. Like something's about to happen, and I'm just waiting for it to drop."

Dean smirked, clearly enjoying Travis's drama. "Or, you're just overthinking everything as usual."

"Shut up," Travis muttered, but his smile grew wider.

Dean clapped him on the back, his grin turning teasing. "I'm just saying, Monty—you need to calm down."

Travis groaned, rolling his eyes at the irony. "You've been spending too much time on TikTok. You're starting to sound like my playlist."

Dean laughed, pushing off the counter. "I'll take that as a compliment. Look, relax. Michael's crazy about you, and you're acting like he's ghosting you over a ten-minute delay."

Before Travis could respond, the door to the station opened, and in walked Michael, looking as effortlessly handsome as ever in his perfectly tailored suit, his smile lighting up the room the moment he spotted Travis.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Michael said, walking over and pressing a quick kiss to Travis's cheek. "I got caught up with a client, but I'm here now."

Travis's tension melted away the moment Michael was in front of him. "It's okay," he said, unable to keep the smile off his face. "I was just... you know, freaking out over nothing."

Michael laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that always made Travis's heart skip a beat. "I figured. That's kind of your thing."

Dean snorted from behind them, clearly enjoying the show. "You have no idea, man. He's been pacing like a lost puppy for the past twenty minutes."

"Not helping, Dean," Travis muttered, though his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

Michael chuckled, wrapping an arm around Travis's waist. "Well, I'm here now. So, can we all calm down?"

Travis rolled his eyes but couldn't help laughing. "Fine. I'll calm down."

Dean grinned, giving them a thumbs-up before heading out of the kitchen, clearly pleased with himself. "You two enjoy your little dinner date. I'll be over here being a normal, calm human."

As Dean left, Michael turned to Travis, his smile softening. "Seriously though, are you okay? You seemed pretty on edge when I walked in."

Travis sighed, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms. "I don't know. I guess I've just been overthinking things today. Work's been quiet, which means my brain's been loud."

Michael tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. "Your brain is always loud."

Travis smiled, shrugging. "Fair point. But today's been different. I just keep feeling like something's going to happen, and I don't know what."

Michael stepped closer, his hands resting gently on Travis's shoulders. "Nothing's going to happen. At least, nothing bad. I promise."

Travis looked into Michael's eyes, feeling the familiar warmth of reassurance settle over him. Michael had a way of grounding him, of pulling him back from the edge when his mind went into overdrive. He didn't know how Michael did it, but he was grateful for it every time.

"Okay," Travis said, exhaling a long breath. "I'll try to stop being so dramatic."

Michael grinned. "Good. Now, how about we focus on dinner before something actually does happen? I'm starving."


A little while later, the two of them sat outside on the station's rooftop, their dinner spread out in front of them—a mix of takeout pizza and the salad Michael had insisted on bringing to "balance things out." The city skyline stretched out before them, the lights twinkling in the distance as they shared an easy, comfortable silence.

"So," Michael said, breaking the quiet as he took a bite of pizza, "what's really been bothering you?"

Travis hesitated, picking at his slice of pizza before finally answering. "I don't know if it's something specific. I just... feel like we're in this really good place, and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? Like, everything's going too well, and that can't be right."

Michael raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "So, let me get this straight—you're stressed because things are... good?"

Travis let out a laugh, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. "Okay, yeah, when you say it like that, it's kind of dumb."

"It's not dumb," Michael said, his voice gentle. "It's just you being you. You're always waiting for something to go wrong because you've been through so much. But sometimes, things can just... be good."

Travis stared at him, feeling a warmth spread through his chest at the sincerity in Michael's words. He knew Michael was right. Travis had spent so long expecting things to fall apart—his relationships, his job, his sense of peace—that he didn't know how to just let himself be happy.

"I'm trying," Travis said softly, his voice more vulnerable than he intended. "I really am."

Michael smiled, reaching across the table to take Travis's hand in his. "I know. And I'm here, okay? No other shoe is dropping. It's just us."

Travis squeezed his hand, feeling a surge of affection for the man sitting across from him. Michael had always been patient with him, always understanding, even when Travis's anxieties threatened to get the better of him. It wasn't always easy, but they made it work.

"I don't know how you put up with me sometimes," Travis said with a chuckle.

Michael leaned back in his chair, a playful grin on his face. "Oh, trust me, it's a full-time job. But someone's gotta do it."

Travis laughed, the tension that had been building up inside him finally easing. "Well, I appreciate it. More than you know."

Michael's smile softened, and he gave Travis's hand a gentle squeeze. "I know."


As the night wore on, they finished their dinner and moved on to dessert—ice cream that Michael had insisted on picking up from their favorite spot down the street. They sat side by side, watching the city below as they shared bites of ice cream and talked about everything from work to their plans for the weekend.

"So," Michael said between bites, "are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

Travis frowned, confused. "What elephant?"

Michael grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "The fact that you've been trying to hide something from me all night. I can tell when you're holding back, you know."

Travis froze, his heart skipping a beat. He had hoped Michael wouldn't notice, but of course, he did. Michael always noticed.

"I wasn't hiding anything," Travis said quickly, though his voice was a little too high-pitched to be convincing.

Michael raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Uh-huh. Sure. So, you're telling me that the reason you were pacing earlier wasn't because you were working up the nerve to say something?"

Travis sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine. You got me."

Michael grinned, leaning in a little closer. "I knew it. So, what's going on?"

Travis took a deep breath, feeling his heart race as he tried to find the right words. He hadn't planned on bringing this up tonight, but now that Michael had called him out, he figured there was no point in waiting.

"I've been thinking," Travis began, his voice soft but steady. "About us. About... the future."

Michael's playful grin faded, replaced by a more serious expression as he listened intently. "Okay..."

Travis hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I know we've both been through a lot, and we've always taken things at our own pace. But lately, I've been thinking about what's next for us. I don't want to keep waiting for something bad to happen. I want to move forward. With you."

Michael's eyes softened, and he reached out to take Travis's hand once more. "What are you saying, Travis?"

Travis smiled, his heart swelling with affection for the man sitting beside him. "I'm saying that I want this. I want us. And I'm ready to take that next step, whatever that looks like for us."

Michael's smile grew wider, and he leaned in to press a soft, lingering kiss to Travis's lips. When he pulled back, his eyes were shining with emotion. "I want that too. More than anything."

Travis felt a wave of relief wash over him, followed by a surge of happiness. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't worried about what might go wrong. He was focused on what was right in front of him—the man he loved, the life they were building together, and the future that was theirs for the taking.

As they sat there, wrapped up in each other, Travis couldn't help but laugh softly to himself.

"What?" Michael asked, grinning.

Travis shook his head, his heart full. "Nothing. I just realized... I think I finally calmed down."

Michael laughed, pulling him closer. "About time."