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

43 || TALK

We need to talk.

Those were the words that always filled Otis with so much worry that he could practically feel it in the pit of his stomach. The words that made him imagine the worst possible scenario in his head as to what he and whoever said those words to him could possibly need to talk about.

They were words Otis never liked to hear and unfortunately for him, they were the first words Riley said to him the moment they returned home from work.

"Uh-oh." Otis half whispered as he gulped rather harshly. They'd barely stepped foot into their bedroom before he quickly felt the the weight of what had happened yesterday drop hard onto his shoulders. 

A million different scenarios began to play inside his head as to the possible outcome that those words would have. However there was only one that worried Otis most. Only one that stood out amongst all the others.

That Riley was going to break up with him.

Otis knew it was probably ridiculous as they'd only had a small fight, if you could even call what happened a fight, but still, he couldn't help but think that this was the end. And it didn't make him feel any better when he noticed that Riley hadn't put her engagement ring back on yet, after having taken it off for work.

"No, it's nothing bad." Riley replied quickly as she took a step forward, her words doing a little to ease Otis's nerves and she could tell that they did given by the way his shoulders relaxed immensely after she spoke. "Just... sit down. Please."

Riley took a seat on the edge of the bed, Otis following quickly behind her as he sat down next to her, the nerves he felt inside him easing a little more when he felt the softness of Riley's fingers lace with his.

"I'm sorry." Riley breathed out, her eyes flicking up from their interlaced fingers to land on Otis's face. "For snapping at you yesterday... I didn't mean to, I just..." She sighed, her eyes closing for a split second as she gathered up the courage to tell Otis about everything that's been going on with her lately.

"Baby, talk to me." Otis said softly, his free hand moving to cup Riley's face as her eyes opened again. Her now watering eyes. "What's going on with you?"

"I can't get what happened out of my head." Riley whispered, a lone tear rolling down her pale cheek, one which Otis quickly wiped away with his thumb.

"With Owens?" Otis asked, brushing Riley's now shoulder length hair behind her ear as his hand settled further back on the side of her head.

Riley nodded gently, using her free hand to wipe at her eyes as she took a breath to try and compose herself. She didn't think it would easy to have, what she was planning on turning into, a serious conversation while she was crying.

"Lately I've been having these nightmares... Ones where all I see is his face. And I can't stop them, no matter what I do... Every time I close my eyes he's right there waiting for me." Riley explained in a tone that Otis could only seem to describe as heartbreaking.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Otis asked softly, his thumb rubbing comforting circles against the skin of Riley's neck.

"I wanted to." Riley replied around a sigh, hoping she'd managed to say what she wanted to say in a way that didn't hurt Otis's feelings. At least, anymore than she already had. "It's just... After what happened you became, I don't want to say clingy, but maybe... More attached to me, I guess.

"And in the beginning it was nice, you know, seeing how much you cared about me. More than anyone ever has in my entire life. And having you by my side all the time, or calling to check up on me... It was sweet. But as time went on-"