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

66 || EPILOGUE

- four years later -

A lot had changed in Riley and Otis's life the past four years, despite how short a time it actually was. And even now as time carried on things were still changing and thankfully, they were changing for the better.

For starters, it had also been about four years since Cruz moved out, since he and Chloe got married. Now the two of them lived happily together with their two sons, Brian, who everyone called little Otis junior, and Javi, a young hispanic boy the two of them had adopted together after Cruz rescued him from a fire.

The house started to feel small to Riley and Otis, despite how big it was, when Cruz moved out, but luckily that feeling didn't last very long once Riley gave birth to their beautiful, and perfectly healthy, baby boy, Ryan Joseph Zvonecek.

The day Ryan was born was most definitely the best day of both Riley and Otis's life, especially given how long it took them to finally get pregnant. After all the heart ache, the disappointment, the worry that they wouldn't be able to have children of their own, the moment they got to hold that little, dark haired, green eyed baby boy in their arms, it was like none of that had ever happened as the only thing that mattered to them anymore was what was right in front of them.

Ryan was four now and already he was practically the spitting image of his dad, except for his eyes. He had his mothers eyes. Ryan was such a sweet little boy, perfectly well behaved and kind of shy too, something he also inherited from his father as Riley had been quick to learn that Otis had been pretty much the same when he was young. He was everything Riley and Otis could have ever hoped for in that he was completely and utterly perfect.

Their life as is was pretty perfect too, and it was about to get even more perfect as the due date to the birth of their second child was fast approaching.

The early morning sun shone through the gap in the curtains as the alarm clock began to beep, waking Otis for his shift and Riley, who had to take little Ryan to kindergarten before she headed to Molly's to sign for some liquor deliveries. Riley let out her usual morning groan as she flailed her arm out, knocking multiple things off the bedside table before she finally found the alarm clock and shut it off.

"Morning." Otis grumbled out, his voice deep and raspy from his sleep as he rolled over to face Riley, who lay flat on her back in the only position she found comfortable to sleep in.

"Morning." She yawned, covering her mouth before Otis leaned over to place a soft, good morning, kiss against her lips.

"How are you feeling?" Otis asked, brushing some of Riley's hair behind her ear, which was covered in her usual piercings now that she didn't have to constantly take them out for shift given that she was almost nine months pregnant.

"Like I have to pee." Riley sighed out, absently rubbing at her hard and protruding stomach. "This baby keeps mistaking my bladder for a punching bag." She chuckled out, her voice straining a little as she tried to sit up, resting back against the soft pillows.

"Not long to go now." Otis said with a smile, his hand landing on Riley's stomach where he felt the gentle kicks of their baby within. Neither of them wanted to know whether it was a boy or a girl yet as they'd rather be surprised, but they were both secretly hoping for a little girl.

Their bedroom door creaked open causing both of their heads to turn towards it and they soon spotted the small face of their little boy peeking through the gap. Lucifer the cat also came strolling in, pushing the door open further as he'd followed Ryan from his bedroom where he often slept, the two of them being the absolute bestest of friends.