City of Smoke // Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek ✔️

11 || FEELINGS

After a few days in which Rory hadn't heard anything more about Otis and Amy, the victim who'd asked him out, she started to feel that little touch better, and a lot less nauseous, over the idea that Otis and Amy would become a thing.

It's not like she hadn't tried to find out if Otis was still seeing Amy, or if he was planning to either. It was just that each person she, subtly, asked about them had no idea whether it was still a thing, and because of that, Rory felt that little extra pep in her step when she walked into the firehouse that morning.

"Silent auction for the charity gala kicks off today and all proceeds go to help young burn victims..." Gabby's voice filled the common room as she entered it, a piece of paper in her hand that she soon pinned up of the board. "...so don't be cheap asses!"

"Yo, Severide... You going to this?" Cruz gestured to the flyer, making Severide chuckle as he looked up from his newspaper.

"Uh-uh, forget that. I told you and Otis last year, Trawling Tradition's over with." Herrmann interrupted, pointing at said men, one of which looked pleased with himself and the other looking as though he was miles away. Otis clearly being the latter of that statement as he was actually trying his hardest not to stare at Rory.

"Trawling Tradition? What's that?" Jimmy questioned, his eyebrows knitted together as he stood leaning against the kitchen counter next to Rory, who was equally confused as she ate her bowl of cereal.

"Every gala, Cruz and Otis follow Severide around and chase after the girls in his wake." Gabby explained, watching as Jimmy nodded his head a little in understanding.

"Enough feeding on Severide's crumbs alright-"

"He doesn't mind, do you Severide?" Cruz cut Herrmann off as he gestured to Severide, who held his hands up in surrender as he stood up.

"I'm staying out of this." He chuckled, moving to pour himself a coffee. He truly didn't mind that they followed him around, but he wasn't about to tell Herrmann. He knew better than that.

"Guys, there must be someone you both wanna ask?" Herrmann said in both a question and a statement, eyes flicking between Cruz and Otis, the latter of which glanced briefly, and sadly, at Rory.

This year Otis couldn't care less about the girls left behind in Severide's wake. The only girl he truly wanted to go to the gala with was Rory but he knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair on her if he asked her to go with him, especially when things with Amy were going better than he'd expected.

The two of them weren't exactly official yet and didn't have labels or whatever. They'd only been on a couple of dates, all of which went well. So well in fact that one of them had actually ended this morning after he'd found himself waking up in bed next to her.

It's safe to say he was surprised that that had happened and almost thought it was a dream when he'd woke up. But it hadn't been a dream, it had been real. And despite all that, despite whatever he might feel for Amy, or rather what he thinks he might feel for her, he still had some lingering feelings for Rory... Okay, a lot of lingering feelings for Rory. Love to be exact. He was in love with Rory, something he'd been afraid of and had very quickly chose to ignore and deny the minute he realised it.

Repressing those feelings wasn't exactly healthy, he knows that but he also knows that Rory still deserves someone better than him, someone who hadn't hurt her the way he did, which is why it was probably better that the woman he invited to gala this year be Amy, and not Rory.

Only, unknown to him and something that would probably break his heart should he find out, Rory was actually planning to ask him to the gala, and she had been the second she realised it was approaching.