#and I don't think Travis was ever indifferent about Emmett
He really, really wasn't, omg. Sometimes I'm really curious about their first meeting because Travis took him home, and then Emmett stayed, and then Travis just couldn't stop caring. Like, in those early episodes it's very much it's very much Emmett who is all "don't coddle me because I'm a probie" and "don't treat me differently because we hooked" up and "don't make a thing of it". And Travis keeps caring and trying despite all that. Until it becomes clear that Emmett isn't cut out to be a fire fighter and that hits him where it hurts and it catapults into the other direction. He never responds to any of it with a shrug, like, the "DON'T EVER SAY MY NAME AGAIN", that is some serious jilted at the altar dramatics, Travis.
IDK, so much of their early relationship happens of screen, but I feel like it's very obvious from Travis's strong reactions to everything Emmett does that he was really into him from the start.
I'd love to see or know more about their first meeting as well. Emmett was very much introduced as a one night stand that lingered a bit. And then oops, he starts working at the same place Travis does. And oops, he's in the closet! Awkward! So yeah, I'd love to learn more about how they got in contact.
I really have to do a rewatch because I've only seen it once, but Travis is definitely paying special attention to Emmett when he starts working there as a probie. The fact that Emmett is also a firefighter... Throwback to Michael. Does Travis feel like he's at risk of losing yet another person he's romantically involved with to the job? And then Emmett not wanting to be a firefighter at all... How does Travis feel about that? Relieved because now he's not in danger so much? Disappointed because firefighting is such a huge part of his life, because Michael was one as well, and how can anyone not want to become one? Mixed feelings for sure.
The fact that Travis is angry at Emmett for such a period of time tells me that he does in fact care. He probably doesn't know how to handle the fact that he's developing feelings for someone again. Because caring about someone equals being at risk of being hurt when they leave. Because caring about someone new after losing a spouse probably brings home a lot of new feelings of guilt as well. Is he "allowed" to fall in love again? Does that somehow dishonour Michael's memory and what they had? Does it mean he somehow cares less about Michael if he starts caring about someone else? I can see all those things going through Travis' mind.
On top of that, Emmett does some things Travis doesn't agree with. He stays in the closet longer than Travis would like. He lives his life (in the beginning anyway) in order to please his father and not to do what he himself wants in life. Travis probably can't handle the fact that he's developing feelings for someone who is so different than him. And all of that makes him so angry! But like I said in my tags, the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. And the fact that Travis is angry shows that he's not indifferent to Emmett. At all.
So I absolutely agree with you that while we didn't see a whole lot of their early relationship (Unfortunately. I wonder if it was always the plan to get them to where they are now? Or if they gave Emmett a larger role on the show because of how good Jay and Lachlan work together?) it is clear from what we do see that Travis is not unmoved by Emmett, from the very start.
Sorry. I kind of word-vomited there. :)