A Slow Burn // Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek // Chicago Fire ✔️

29 || WORRY

Hiding his bruises from Riley for one night seemed like an easy task for Otis, one he was more than confident he could complete successfully. And he almost did too, right up until the last second when Riley noticed them.

"Hey, what happened to your back?" Riley asked, voice a little garbled as she was in the midst of brushing her teeth.

Otis had been in the shower when Riley came back into the bathroom, mumbling something about forgetting to brush her teeth before she headed out to the academy. And it was then that Otis knew his cover was blown as the glass shower in their en-suite bathroom provided a clear view of his bruises. He knew he should have waited until she left to shower.

"And your hip?" Riley added before spitting some toothpaste into the sink and continuing to brush.

"Oh, I, uh, I'm not sure." Otis replied hesitantly around the trickling of the water, unsure what direction this conversation would be heading. "They just appeared last shift..."

"Last shift?" Riley repeated after rinsing her mouth out and placing her toothbrush back in its holder. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was going to but then your mother showed up and I didn't think it was a good time... Besides, I didn't think it was serious." Otis replied, shrugging his shoulders a little and hoping that wasn't a hint of sadness he heard in Riley's voice over not telling her. He turned the shower off, stepping out and wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Did you at least get Dawson or Brett to look at them?" Riley asked, folding her arms as she leaned against the sink. She thought it was a little weird that he never mentioned anything about it given that he could get a hangnail and wouldn't stop talking about it for days. Also her mother showing up was definitely not a good excuse for him not telling her.

"Yeah, I did." Otis nodded, his hand running through his wet hair causing droplets to run down the side of his face.

"And?"

"And... Brett said I should get them checked by a doctor... Which is where I'm going this morning." Otis added the last part quickly, before Riley could interrupt him.

"Brian... Why didn't you tell me? I could have got someone to cover my class, I could have went with you." Riley sighed out, pushing herself off the counter and moving towards him in the lightly steam filled bathroom.

"I didn't want you to worry." Otis said quietly, feeling Riley's hand gently land on the side of his face. "Especially if it was nothing."

"I get that, I do... But this isn't something you should be keeping from me." Riley said softly before her phone beeped in her pocket, indicating it was time for her to leave otherwise she'd be late. She sighed, her hand falling from his face to shut the alarm off. "I gotta go, but just promise me you'll tell me what the doctor says."

"I promise." Otis replied with a nod and a small smile, despite not knowing if he could keep that promise. It's not that he wanted to have secrets from Riley, that was the last thing he wanted... It was just that he didn't even know himself whether he wanted to find out what was wrong with him.

"Good." Riley replied with a satisfied smile before she leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "I gotta go... I love you."

"I love you too." Otis kissed her one last time before she pulled away. "I'll see you when you get back."

Riley nodded her head with a smile before she left, her orange ponytail swinging against her back as she did and it was then that Otis began to get nervous about seeing a doctor. He really didn't want to but it wasn't like he could just pretend he went and tell Riley everything is good as he knew she'd see right through that... Not to mention how close she was with Maggie and April, who'd definitely mention having not seen him show up at the hospital recently if she said anything about it to them.