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beybladeninja · 3 months

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I was surprised at how much good reception my Ninjago x Across the Spider Verse crossover fic received, so I decided to make a sequel! And maybe even more, depending on how my brain decides to work on this.

Enjoy part 2!

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He feels warm. He feels comfortable. He feels safe.

Miles can’t remember the last time he felt this secure. Even from before he became Spider Man, Brooklyn was never 100% safe. He remembered a few times in his childhood when he woke up to gunshots happening in the streets just outside his window. After he donned the mask, the paranoia only got worse. He always went to bed terrified that he would wake up with one of his arch nemeses pointing a gun or a claw at either his head or his parents.

I guess I’ve never really felt safe, He realized as he snuggled deeper into the soft surface. It’s nice.

Then he turned over on his side and a sharp pain in his shoulder rudely pulled him out of his secure bliss.

He abruptly sat up with a hiss and grabbed for the joint, massaging it until the discomfort subsided. As his senses started to wake up along with his body, he realized that he was feeling something rough beneath his fingertips. It stung, but he gradually opened his eyes to investigate. He took in the blurry sight of his shoulder wrapped in something white, and as his vision cleared, he realized it was a wad of bandages. Not only that, but he dimly noticed that the hand that was rubbing the wad was its normal brown skin color instead of the red and black fabric of his suit. Looking down, he realized that his other hand was also uncovered; the elusive gloves were discovered on a nearby bedside table. Other than that, upon inspection beneath his sheets, the entirety of his Spider Man suit was still attached to his body.

Even his web-slingers were still on his wrists. Whoever had removed his gloves probably thought they were weird pieces of jewelry or something.

After locating his missing clothing pieces, Miles’s gaze started to wander. He found that he was in a small room mostly made of wood, with walls and flooring that almost looked like canvas. The space was lit by morning light from a large window with dark wood panels. Peering outside, Miles found the reason for why he felt so safe:

There were no buildings. Therefore, there was no noise.

All he saw was endless sky.

Miles shrank back from the window and pressed himself further into the admittedly soft mattress, digging his uncovered hand into his hair. “Where am I… how did I get here?” He asked himself softly. He shook his head, trying to recall what had happened to him the night before. He remembered running from his alternate self and Uncle Aaron. He remembered finding a random open portal and diving through it. He remembered emerging on the other side to a world that was still far from the one he had grown up in. He remembered finding a quiet spot on a building where he could sit and think about how his luck had run out.

He remembered the stranger dressed in green.

He remembered being offered a soda that tasted like burnt cherries.

He remembered pouring out his troubles to the stranger, then crying on his shoulder while he held him.

He remembered the stranger telling him that his name was Lloyd Garmadon.

And he also remembered Lloyd telling him that he could help.

He couldn’t recall anything that happened afterwards, though. It was all a black blur. Did I pass out after that? He wondered. That guy said he was a teacher… is this the school he teaches at?

If it was a school, it was a pretty quiet one. Try as he might, he couldn’t hear a single blip of noise from outside or inside the building. It was a nice break from the usual hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, but the silence was quickly turning from peaceful to unsettling.

Regardless of the silence, his Spider Sense was going crazy. Even though he couldn’t hear anything, there were definitely people moving around inside the building. He didn’t know if it was the design of the place that kept sound from reaching him or if they were deliberately trying to be quiet, but either way, it only served to put him on edge. Why are they being so quiet?

His Spider Sense started heightening to a fever pitch. Someone was approaching the door to his room, still somehow without making any noise. Panic started to creep in as the feeling kept growing until he was certain that the person was right outside his door. Lloyd seemed nice, but how many people in this place are like him? He started to bring up a wrist in order to defend himself if need be, his gaze never leaving the doorway. Friend or foe…

The silence was finally broken by the soft sound of the door being slid open. A head slowly poked itself into the room and took a cautious look around. Upon catching sight of him sitting upright in bed, the face broke into a wide smile. “You’re awake!” The person exclaimed.

Before Miles could blink, this newcomer was suddenly right at his bedside, still talking animatedly. “I just came down to check on you, but I didn’t know that you were actually awake - good morning! How ya feeling? This is so exciting - I’ve never met someone from outside of Ninjago before! Well, technically that’s not true, I have. But from what Lloyd tells us, you’re from much farther than any of us have been! I have so many questions - what languages are spoken in your realm? What kinds of food do you have? What’s the weather like? What do the animals look like - are they weird? Is day day and night night where you’re from, or is it the other way around?”

When the new stranger paused for breath, Miles took the opportunity to break in with a weak “Um… hi?”

The stranger blinked before chuckling, bringing a hand up to scratch his neck sheepishly. “Sorry… guess I got a little carried away, huh? Let’s start over.” His hand came down and in front of him in an attempt at a handshake. “Hiiii - I’m Arin!” He explained cheerfully. “And you are?”

Before answering, Miles took in his enthusiastic new fan. He was around the same age as Miles. He had brown skin about a shade or two darker than Miles’ own. He also had a similar style of hair, though his was slightly less sculpted, with curled locks falling over his forehead and ears. He wore a bright orange hoodie with a slightly darker fabric covering his right arm, with a metallic shoulder guard cresting his right shoulder. The front boasted a kickass dragon design with a fanged mouth and bared claws, reaching towards a stylized white X.

But it was his name that took Miles off guard. Arin… one couldn’t tell how it was spelled just by hearing it out loud, but it sounded too close to his uncle’s name. Hearing the name caused some painful memories to resurface - memories he thought he’d pushed down in the months after Uncle Aaron’s death. For a second, he was even sure that he saw his uncle’s face in front of him.

The illusion soon broke, though. This new Arin was still staring at him expectantly, shaking his hand slightly as if he thought Miles had forgotten it was there. He blanched and gave his head a mental smack. This guy isn’t Uncle Aaron - doesn’t even look like him! Get a hold of yourself, man! He finally reached out and took the proffered hand. “I’m Miles.”

“Nice to meet ya, Miles!” Arin told him brightly, shaking his hand with a surprisingly firm grip. “Lloyd told us that we had a guest who’d recently been through a tumble, but he wouldn’t tell us anything more.” His gaze landed on Miles’ wrapped shoulder and his eyes widened. “Wow… I guess he wasn’t kidding about the tumble part, huh? How are you feeling?”

Miles rubbed his shoulder again and grimaced. “A little sore,” He admitted.

“I know what that feels like,” Arin agreed, nodding knowingly. He leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. “Do you know what always makes me feel better when I’m sore?”

“Painkillers?” Miles guessed. He could really use a few at the moment.

“Pie!” Arin said instead. It was then that Miles noticed that he hadn’t come into his room empty handed. A porcelain plate had been his partner in crime, which he now held up in triumph. On top was a single slice of pie, the crust a golden brown and the filling an interesting array of colors, alternating between cheery yellow, warm brown, and meaty orange.

It smelled heavenly, but Miles blinked at the offering. “…That’s laced with painkillers?” He added to Arin’s statement, half expecting the whole thing to be a joke.

Arin lowered the plate and looked at Miles as if he’d suddenly sprouted two heads. “No! That’s called ‘spiking’!” One of his hands left the plate to position itself against his chest, giving him an air of self-importance. “I will have you know, I am a well-respected baker in these parts - I would never endanger my reputation by deigning to spike one of my pies!”

Miles put up both of his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I kid!” He claimed. Whatever he’d meant to do by coming to this place, it wasn’t making enemies with the very first person he met. Though that does seem to be becoming a trend with me…

Luckily for him, Arin’s smile returned. “So do I,” He revealed slyly. He gently set the plate down on Miles’s covered lap and procured a silver fork from seemingly out of nowhere. “You know, you’re actually came here on a pretty good day,” He went on to explain, placing the fork next to the slice of intriguing pie. “This is my famous Breakfast Pie - I only make it when I have enough energy to get up early in the morning. Which, trust me, around here…” He set a hand on the bedsheets and leaned towards Miles with a dead serious look in his eye. “Is very rare.”

He then stepped back and stared at Miles expectantly. Getting the feeling that he was supposed to start eating the pie, and finding himself unwilling to make yet another enemy in his trip across the multiverse, he readily picked up the fork. The silver points pierced the golden crust, separating a small amount from the rest of the pie. With Arin looking on, he brought the utensil to his mouth and took a cautious bite.

Immediately, his tastebuds came alive with flavor. “Oh my god - what is in this thing?” He asked Arin as he started shoveling forkful after forkful of the divine pastry between his teeth. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was until he’d actually put food into his mouth, but now that he’d acknowledged it, he couldn’t stop eating.

“Breakfast!” Arin claimed simply; seeing that his dish was an instant hit, his smile grew even wider until Miles was sure his face would split in half. “I filled it with eggs, sausage, cheese, bacon… oh! And I made the crust using pancake batter!”

The pie was gone in five seconds, allowing Miles to give Arin his full attention. “Impressive! Those things are delicious on their own, but I never would have thought to put them all in a pie.”

“That’s Arin for ya,” A familiar voice came from the still open doorway. Both heads swiveled to find a young man with blonde hair and green eyes standing there, the features glinting almost ethereally in the light from the window. Miles realized that it was the stranger he had met the previous night, Lloyd. Only instead of the baggy hoodie and sweatpants from before he was wearing an ensemble that kind of looked like a green gi from a stylish karate dojo, complete with similar green armor. And unlike his previous appearance, his current apparel showed off a more fit physique.

“Lloyd!” Both boys exclaimed in surprise. “So… martial arts teacher, huh?” Miles asked him, nodding to his outfit.

“You better believe it,” Lloyd confirmed with a sly wink. He walked fully into the room and playfully ruffled Arin’s already messy Afro. “I see you’ve met Arin. He’s our on-site baker, and a pretty good one at that. Give him an ingredient, and he’ll find some way to bake it into a pie.”

“It’s true!” The student in orange agreed enthusiastically, sounding eager to prove his skills. He looked to Miles imploringly. “Go on - give me an ingredient!”

“Oh - uhm…” Miles floundered upon being put on the spot. He searched his pathetically empty brain for a baking ingredient and spat out the first thing that came to mind: “Blueberry?”

Arin pushed air through his lips in a condescending pshaw. “Please - child’s play,” He boasted, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “Cinnamon crust, add a little lemon juice to the filling, and the blueberries sing like a sweet songbird. Come on - give me a hard one!”

“We don’t have to do this now,” Lloyd tried to protest gently, but Miles cut him off.

“Nah man, I want to see how far we can take this,” He told the blonde teacher. He set the empty plate on the bedside table and sat up more comfortably in the bed before turning back to Arin. “Apple?”

“Cinnamon all the way, with a slight splash of orange juice to bring out the citrus flavors!” Arin proclaimed confidently, a pointer finger high in the air. “I told you to give me a hard one!”

“Grape?”

“Mix it with sugar and you essentially got a jelly pie!”

“Rhubarb?”

“Same as with the grapes - dunk them in sugar to counterbalance the sourness!”

“Celery?”

“Kind of unconventional, but you can mix cubes of it with peanut butter and raisins to make a kind of ‘Ants on a Log’ style pie!”

“Meat?”

“What kind?”

“Okay! Can we stop this now, please?” Lloyd butted in, placing his hands between the two like a referee. He shot Miles an accusatory glare. “Before Miles here gives you an ingredient that absolutely should not go in a pie?”

Miles snorted and sat back on his hands. “Oh please - I wasn’t going to say anything bad, exactly,” He claimed with a smirk.

“I’d prefer not to find out, thank you,” Lloyd responded drily.

After that little exchange, the blonde teacher sighed and gestured to the edge of the bed. Miles hadn’t even realized that he’d set down a neat pile of clothes while they had been talking. “Anyway, I’d already been coming to your room to give you a change of clothes when Arin here decided to scream to the Monastery that you were awake.”

“I-I wasn’t screaming!” Arin protested, his dark cheeks turning darker from a self-conscious blush. “I was… loudly announcing. There’s a difference!”

“Yeah, the difference being volume - I could hear you from the laundry room!” Lloyd rebutted with a slight laugh. His attitude took a serious turn as he crossed his arms and looked at his student with a frown. “Anyways, are you sure you should be up and around with that ankle?”

Confused, Miles glanced over the edge of the bed. To his surprise, Arin was barefoot and sporting a bright orange nylon ankle brace over his right foot. While it wasn’t obvious that he was in pain, he was favoring most of his weight on his left. Lloyd did say that one of his students got hurt yesterday, He remembered, looking at Arin in a new light.

“Zane said it was only a minor sprain,” Arin assured him, his smile taking a softer edge. “He cleared me for training, as long as it’s not anything too laborious. Seriously, I’m fine.” To provide further proof, he made a show of rocking back and forth on his heels.

Lloyd looked like he was going to protest again, so Miles decided to speak up on the matter. “It’s only a minor sprain, right? I say let him do what he needs to do.” When two pairs of eyes swiveled to meet him, he shrank back. “I mean… if he’s up to it…”

Arin grinned at him appreciatively before turning back to Lloyd. “See? The new guy gets me!” He claimed, waving in Miles’s direction. “I’m fine, really!” Lloyd’s green eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, to which Arin abruptly jutted a finger in his face. “Uh uh uh! You’re outnumbered, mister - can’t say no this time!”

Lloyd swallowed whatever he was about to say and sighed instead. “Fine, just… take it easy today, okay?” He asked, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “If I hear anything from anyone about you being in pain, I’m putting you on the sidelines until that brace comes off completely. Capisce?”

“Capase, dad!” Arin yelled in exhilaration. Bouncing on the balls of his injured and uninjured feet, he grabbed the empty plate from the bedside table and made to exit. Before he did, he turned and gave Miles a grateful bow. “Thank you for helping me plead my case, new guy!” He said cheerfully. He then rushed out the open doorway and rushed down the hall, yelling “HEY GUYS - LLOYD SAID I’M GOOD FOR PRACTICE! AND NO, I AM NOT KIDDING!”

Lloyd watched him go with an expression of fondness. “So, you’ve met one of my students,” He noted briskly. “First impression of my work environment?”

Miles snickered, absently wiping a few stray crumbs from his suit. “If all of your students are like Arin, I think your allies are very lucky, and your enemies are in for an earful if they ever manage to capture him,” He admitted.

Lloyd laughed out loud, making Miles jump. “I’m sure they are, but I doubt they’ll ever catch him,” He said, sounding totally convinced. “Arin’s too good.”

“Sounds impressive,” Miles complimented. He waited a few seconds before addressing the elephant in the room: “So Lloyd… what exactly happened last night?”

Lloyd gave him a surprised side-eye. “You don’t remember anything?” He asked.

“I remember everything up until the point where you…” He trailed off, suddenly aware of how embarrassing what he was about to say was. “Hugged me.”

Lloyd stared at him a few seconds before smirking. “What, embarrassed to say that a complete stranger offered you support in your darkest moments?”

“I-I’m not saying that…” Miles stuttered, digging his fingers into the sheets around him.

Fortunately for him, Lloyd seemed to be as resilient to inadvertent insults as his student, as he laughed once more. “Ah, don’t worry - I’d be a little weirded out too if I was hugged by someone I didn’t know.” He leaned over and pressed his fingers against the bandages on Miles’s shoulder, inspecting it. “Well, after our little heart-to-heart, you kind of passed out on me, so I had to carry you back here to get you checked out. Our medical professional looked you over, and other than a slight concussion and a few scratches on your shoulder, nothing too serious. Though he did bandage you up just to make sure nothing reopens.

“Sorry I put my hands on you without your consent,” Lloyd said jokingly, holding both his hands up in mock surrender as he stepped away from the bandages. “But I had to make sure you were out of danger. Don’t worry.” He spread his arms and gestured to the building around them. “The Monastery of Spinjitzu is about as safest as you can get in these parts.”

“Monastery of… what?” Miles questioned. He was familiar with a few martial arts, but he’d never heard of… what was it again? Spin-jit-zu?

Lloyd laughed again, though not unkindly. “Boy do we have a lot to show you,” He mused.

It was meant in good-nature, though it only served to remind Miles that he might be here for a lot longer than he wanted to be. “So uh… Lloyd… before I passed out…” He began slowly, trying to bring up his case in a way that didn’t seem ungrateful. “I remembered you saying that… you could… you know…”

“Help you?” The blonde teacher finished. When Miles nodded, he gave one in return. “Yup, already on it - our tech experts are trying to find a way to get you home as we speak.”

Good news, but the vision he’d seen of the Spot killing his father echoed in his mind, reminding him what was at stake if he didn’t get home soon. “D-do… do you think they could, um… speed run the process?”

Lloyd looked at him a little more seriously. “It’s a delicate process, so I don’t know how much quicker they can run it,” He informed him. “Any particular reason?”

The vision flashed across his vision once more, making him flinch. “Let’s just say that something really bad will happen if I don’t get home.”

Lloyd stared at him for a second longer before sighing. “I’ll check in with them and see what they can do,” He promised. A finger reached out and tapped the pile of clothes he’d left on the bed. “In the meantime, you can change into these and come meet the others. They’ve been dying to meet you.” With that, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Miles was about to protest that he didn’t need to change clothes, but he raised his arm to his nose to check and nearly took a longer nap. He’d been running around so much, he hadn’t realized how dirty his suit was getting. Now thankful for the clothing change, he reached for the pile and pulled it over to him.

Well, I woke up this morning in a different dimension… maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up back home.

#ninjago #spider man: across the spider verse #atsv #atsv spoilers #miles morales #ninjago arin #lloyd montgomery garmadon #lloyd ninjago #ninjago lloyd #lloyd garmadon #part two #soda buddies #pie pals

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codychristiantreasures · 4 months

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My favorite Cody moment is when he's working out and he bends over and his butt is on display.

Kinda looks like this:

Oh yes. It’s no secret that I love Cody’s workout videos. Him giving us a perfect view is such a bonus.

#cody christian #beautiful man. beautiful ass #Cody do you need a workout buddy?#cody ask #blog ask #thanks for the ask!#❤️#asher adams #theo raeken #mike montgomery

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ariesbilly · 2 years

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king of impersonations

#its so little but its so much like yeah buddy that IS tom hanks so true lmao #dacre montgomery

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monty-glasses-roxy · 11 months

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can u do the animalisms for Monty plz

Sure buuud!!

Take these with a hint of salt though, I've looked up alligator stuff but I'm not exactly an expert on them. Anyway

So the obvious first: Monty loves water. He's vibin' in the water at Gator Golf all the damn time he loves it. He can float like an alligator with his nose and eyes above the water and he can stay there forever if left to his own devices. Fun fact: He was the first animatronic to be introduced that was waterproof! (Yes, I have a timeline for all of this stuff in my notes it's very helpful) Anyway, ya boy can hiss and stay remarkably still for long periods of time (though this is somewhat offset with his Character programming) and can be very patient. Alligators are the only crocodilian to be maternal and protective, so that's exactly what Monty is. He's protective of younger kids and newer animatronics, doing his best to act like the cool mentor to the animatronics until they find their feet. In this way, he's pretty similar to Freddy, except he's uh... without the 'drop them like a stone and start over' thing with them. He's naturally more protective of the kids even as they get older, drifting off as they reach adulthood whereas Freddy is more focused on the younger ones. Save to say, his fans are of a much more diverse age range than many of the other animatronics.

Anyway, back to alligatorisms. Monty loves the warmth, despite not gaining any physical benefits like a biological alligator might. If there were heat lamps in the Plex, he'd love them, and is of the firm belief that the place should be kept at least three degrees higher at all times. He's a bit of a climber, though not as much as Chica. He likes to lounge around from on top of various parts of his attraction and people watch from up there. The walkways are honestly great for that, so Monty being Monty, refuses to get up there without awkwardly climbing his way up the Gator Golf decorations. In applicable situations, he's good for lying in wait for the right moment to strike, and in fights, he uses his tail quite often. He's not the most visually expressive, but with the traits of the Character part of his programming, he's not really unreadable either. Just less readable than say, Bonnie or Roxy. He can be very opportunistic, taking advantage of things thrown at him whenever possible and is a bit of a nuzzler, though he tends to stick to rubbing noses rather than Foxy's methods of nuzzling wherever he can reach.

The colder it is in the Plex, the less active he is. The Plex was closed for a whole winter once with very minimal heating because there was only one nightguard there ever and Monty spent the majority of it lying on the floor not feeling like moving ever again. He likes digging a bit, and finds making little dens out of random stuff he finds very fun since he can't exactly make a burrow in the Pizzaplex. He's pretty territorial, but is generally pretty chill otherwise. His anger certainly doesn't stem from here that's for damn sure. He's protective of his belongings and of his attraction and damaging anything of his will get you a roar and chase sequence he will not be happy. He's sensitive to high pitched noises and it's the only guaranteed way to get his attention, though he's not exactly sure why. (I do, but he doesn't lmao) He also just. Has a bit of a compulsion to carry rocks around in his mouth. Like a chew stim but he just sorta carries it instead of chewing on it. Guy just likes carrying random shit around with him.

Generally? The territorial thing is probably the only real issue that ever comes up, along with the 'typically docile' thing that clashes with the other half of his programming. Other than those two, he's not too terribly bothered by his alligator based programming at all, and he is probably the least aware of there being two separate personalities in him out of everyone. He gets by pretty well I'd say

Now, apparently, there's been several recent studies suggesting that alligators exibit more social behaviours than your average cocodilian, however, I can't find them so this is the best I got for now. If anyone knows where I can find information on that please let me know I would love to see it! But yeah, that's all I got for now. Enjoy!

#fnaf security breach #montgomery gator #animalisms #pop rox answers #i tried doing more research for this #but the social behaviours of the american alligator seem to be a well guarded secret #for some reason beyond me #weird how that is huh #anyway #enjoy my ramblings some more buddy!!

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flowerkidlove · 1 year

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the monty btw. probably the least remembered thing Sphero made

fucking terrifying, hate that he has no eyes

#thats right mcqueens name is montgomery isnt it #max's asks #catboybeebop #little buddies

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coal15 · 1 year

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Here's an excerpt from Tandum Idiots, the Station 19 Travis/Eli fic I just posted. It's nothing elaborate, just a progression of their relationship. There's fluff, snark, sexy times, hurt/comfort, no hardcore smut, no insipid love triangles. Enjoy:

Please, please, please, please keep him safe, his mind begs. Eli is not a man accustomed to begging, but now he does. Ceaselessly. He’s so laser focused on pleading for Travis’s safety, he doesn’t even notice Andy sprinting up to the crowd perimeter until she’s standing directly in front of him.

“He’s on the second floor next to a load bearing wall,” she informs him, the words coming in a fast no nonsense rush. “The stairs aren’t passable anymore but Vic and Sully are up there trying to knock down enough fire in either the hall or west bedroom to clear a path to the windows. Okay, I gotta get back, I’ll try to keep you posted if I can.” She’s charging back to the firetruck yelling orders before Eli can even get the words ‘thank you’ out of his mouth.

Being so familiar with this incredible team does offer Eli a measure of comfort. The knowledge that every single person battling this fire is incredibly skilled, strong, and possessed of a profound loyalty to one another. He knows when it comes to protecting their family, each of them will always fight til the point of no hope, and even well beyond, before accepting defeat.

Another ten minutes of frantic chaos goes by before Eli sees one of the ladders moving, extending toward a window at the side of the building. The smoke is so thick he can barely make out a hand reaching out for the promise of rescue. Seconds later this person, a firefighter, descends down the ladder with the help of someone else.

Eli squints, craning his neck for a clear look at the person’s jacket and desperately trying a not to assume it’s his person just because he wants it to be.

Then he sees it.

Montgomery

The relief turns his legs into jello and he crumples to the ground, sobbing words of relief and gratitude. As nearby spectators help him to his feet he realizes Andy is waving him over, yelling at the people steadfastly maintaining crowd control to let him through.

Travis barely has time to get his helmet and mask off before Eli thwumps into him, all tears and kisses.

“How can you hug me right now? I must smell terrible!” Travis teases through heavy breathing.

“You could smell like a landfill and I wouldn’t care, you're alive!” Eli sobs, dizzied and delighted as he presses his face into the curve of Travis’s throat. “I was so terrified,” he whimpers, the words muffled against Travis’s skin.

The smoke-soaked man says nothing, but wraps his arms around Eli and holds on tight. Like both their lives depend on it. Normally by now he would be telling the incident commander he’s okay, he’s fine, he’s ready to go back in and keep fighting. But Eli is so upset, so fragile in his arms, he can’t bring himself to charge back inside. Not unless he’s ordered to.

No one delivers such an order, so once Eli is calmed down enough to let go of him and stand back Travis does his part from the outside. He helps man the fire hose, clear fallen debris, and takes an ax to various parts of the house’s exterior to create more escape points. Eventually they get the fire under control and snuff it out completely.

Then the brave firefighters of Seattle all move along and wait for their next emergency.

Eli, however, is not a firefighter. And he can’t stop having nightmares. Watching his boyfriend burn alive or choke to death on smoke, sometimes while other people mill around doing nothing to intervene, like it’s not even happening. Whenever they spend the night together, which is most nights, Travis tends to wake up suddenly to Eli wailing and thrashing beside him. “It’s a dream,” he whispers, gently squeezing Eli's arm. “Wake up baby, it’s just a dream.” Tonight is another one of those nights. Travis is having trouble falling asleep and he’s trying to order his brain to shut down before the sun comes up when an unconscious Eli begins to squirm and whine. Maybe it’s not a nightmare, it could just be sleep babbling.

“Aagh!” Eli bolts upright, wide eyed and panting.

Travis hefts himself up, curling both arms around his boyfriend, surrounding his body so they’re posed with Eli’s back against his chest. Nope. Another nightmare.

“Sorry,” Eli warbles, embarrassed and rather annoyed with himself.

“It’s fine,” Travis whispers. “You’re fine.” He nudges Eli’s chin, prompting the man to tilt his head back enough for a lingering kiss.

“I just wish these damn nightmares would stop.”

“I’m sure they will.” Travis guides their bodies to lean back against the headboard, and the two of them cuddle in silence. Meanwhile, a possible issue begins nagging at the back of his mind. He pushes it down, too tired for deep thoughts or discussion. We’ll deal with it later, he tells himself.

Eventually they re-settle beneath the covers, Travis on his back and Eli’s head tucked neatly beneath his chin.

When morning comes Travis wakes to discover his peacefully sleeping man has rolled away from him. He watches Eli’s shoulders rise and fall, no squirming or hints of distress, and his immediate urge is to slide close and play Big Spoon. Eli is the best Little Spoon on earth as far as Travis is concerned. He needs as much sleep as he can get, he reminds himself. If I go squirming over there, I might wake him up. So instead he gets up, mindful not to disturb the mattress too much as he rises, and heads for the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee.

He’s even contemplating the possibility of pancakes.

Who doesn’t love a pancake breakfast?

It's only a few minutes later when Eli shuffles into the room. “Sorry again about last night,” he apologizes through a long yawn, reaching out for the coffee pot like a zombie in search of brains.

“S’okay, I got it. Here.” Travis fetches down another mug and pours another piping hot cup of energy.

Eli accepts the beverage and leans in for a quick good morning kiss, but then something gives him pause. He hesitates.

“What?”

“I’m not sure.” Eli says, eyes narrowing as he tries to decipher Travis’s expression. “You just look . . . a bit troubled. Is there something we need to talk about?”

There is an issue on Travis’s mind. He really doesn’t want to admit it, but the alternative is lying to his boyfriend, so he has no choice. “I guess I’m worried about . . .”

“Yeah? Worried about . . . ?”

“The thing is, Eli, that fire? It was bad, but I’ve been in way worse. Not only have I, but I will be again at some point, it’s part of the job. It’s something . . .” he pauses to carefully consider his words. “ . . . Eli anyone who chooses to be with a firefighter has to accept the same fact. That every day we go to work, we might not come home. You have to deal with knowing, every day, that you might get that call. It is an awful call, and . . . not everyone can handle it. So I, I wouldn’t blame you if it’s too much for-”

Eli puts an end to Travis’s worried monologue by inhaling his mouth in a wild, needy kiss. “It’s not too much, I promise.” The words come breathy and rushed between a barrage of kisses. “It was just my first time seeing it that bad and I-” He stops kissing, steers Travis up against the refrigerator, and pulls off his t-shirt in one fluid move. “I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Travis manages to ask quickly before Eli goes on devouring him, tongue sliding and pushing against his own.

Finally Eli pulls back, panting and entirely kiss-drunk. “I am sure. I’ll adjust, Travis, it just . . . might take a minute.”

Travis gazes at his boyfriend's face, unblinking, absorbing every detail. What he sees is absolute sincerity. “You really do believe we’re worth it don’t you?”

The fact that Travis even needs to ask sends Eli’s heart breaking open. “Sweetheart,” he whispers, cradling the man's face and dusting little kisses all over. “We are worth everything to me. If being with you means I must learn to cope with life-or-death stress on a regular basis, then I will damn well learn.”

“Wow,” Travis's eyes pool with misty sentiment. “How did I find a guy like you?”

“You didn’t.” Eli giggles. “I barged into your place of business and ordered you to employ me. Which you did.”

Travis opens his mouth to fire off a snarky response, but Vic’s voice cuts him off.

“I am about to enter the kitchen,” she announces. “You have five seconds to cover your junk if necessary.”

Eli leaps back like a caught out teenager whilst Travis snatches up and dives into his shirt. “We’re not always making out in here y’know.” He says when Vic strolls into the room.

“Please,” she snorts, nudging Travis away from the fridge to gain access to her overnight oats. “If there were hidden cameras set up in here I’d have enough material to start an OnlyFans account.”

Travis rolls his eyes. “Overstatement much?”

“We’d expect a share of the profits.” Eli casually informs her.

Travis whips his head around, pointing a stern finger at Eli. “No, bad! Stop it!”

Eli’s lips press tight as he struggles not to laugh. “Mmm, Yes Sir.” Victoria giggles and high fives him whilst making zero effort to stop laughing.

“You’re the worst,” Travis informs the them. The chuckle twins. “You are both the worst. Who wants pancakes?”

Rather than acknowledge the question, Vic turns to Eli and asks in a matter-of-fact 'team meeting' sort of tone, “how do you feel about props, my guy? Should there be props?”

“Chocolate chip pancakes,” Travis mutters to himself, “yeah, those sound good.”

By the time breakfast is served Vic and Eli have dropped the onlyfans gag, but it does become a running joke between the two of them. Comments here and there. Travis pretends to be annoyed by it, but the truth is he loves how well they get along. It means no touchy, tumultuous ‘significant other and best friend don’t get along’ drama to navigate.

Waiting for the next huge life-threatening disaster to come along is like waiting for the other shoe to drop. And not that Eli wishes catastrophe upon anyone, but he needs to experience the proof, for both himself and Travis, that he can cope with the reality of Travis’s job. Day in and day out. For what he keenly hopes will be the rest of his life.

When the other shoe does finally drop, it happens in the worst way possible.

*************

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#travis montgomery #Eli Stern #travis x eli #Station 19 #god it feels good to write for an actual canon bisexual man #I just wish Buck and Eddie could get the same treatment #buddie #maybe Buck and Eddie will have a shot #when 911 moves to ABC

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