Chapter Text
Otis didn’t know it was possible to love like this. This bone deep devotion that almost makes him freeze before putting himself in danger. That voice inside him that warns him, every time he leaves the house, ‘one wrong move, and Oscar will be alone again’.
It hurts. The worry, the frustration, the not knowing of it all.
But it also feels incredible. The best rush he’s ever had, and it doesn’t end.
Oscar calls him “my Otis” like ‘my dad’ or ‘my mom’. “I have to ask my Otis.” He’ll say to his friends or a teacher. He says it like Ortiz without the r. It melts Otis’ heart every single time. At this point his heart is just a puddle.
He’s flipping through photos of him and Oscar at the playground when Mouch and Sylvie saddle up on either side of him.
“Hey Otis.”
“Hey guys. Mouch look at this, Oscar can climb trees faster than that squirrel from Over the Hedge. I just blinked for one second and then he’s up there, smiling and waving at me. Fuckin’ scared the crap out of me.”
“Yeah, that’s great man, but put that away I don’t wanna look at the kid when I ask you this.”
Otis’ face falls a bit, but he clicks his phone off and tucks it away, looking back and forth between the two, trying to decipher their expressions.
“So Otis, you know how a while ago, Sylvie and I were trying to get in business together?” Mouch starts nervously.
Otis rolls his eyes. “Everyone knows you guys wrote the firehouse porn. Nobody cares anymore.”
“Well that’s just the thing though!” Sylvie scoots in closer, forgetting personal space. “The fuss of it has officially died down, and our publisher isn’t ready to let this go yet.”
“Okay?” Otis eyes flit cautiously. “Whats that got to do with me?”
“Well it seems there’s an untapped market on gay erotica about first responders.” Mouch explains. “Since you started playing for the other team-“
“Mouch!” Sylvie protests, but the union man doesn’t stop.
“-we figured you might have some insight or some experiences to help fill the pages.”
“Look, we’re sorry to spring this on you.” Sylvie pats his shoulder. “And totally no pressure. It just seems… well, kind of perfect, right? Otis you’re a writer, you write for your podcast. Mouch and I already have the romance novel experience. And all of us have or are seeing cops. Between the three of us, we can make something really, really, hot.”
“Mouch.” Otis turns to his senior. “You want to write about gay firefighters and cops screwing?”
“I am willing to give it an honest try.” Mouch looks determined and prideful.
Otis mulls it over. On the one hand, it sounds like a cool idea. On the other hand…
He stands. “Here’s what I’m gonna do guys. I’m going to go in that room, right over there, and pretend this conversation never happened.”
“Aw come on Otis, it wouldn’t be for free! You’d get ten grand if we pull this off!” Mouch calls after him.
He stops cold at the door. “What?”
“The publisher wants to buy the rights for a gay adaptation of Sheets on Fire for thirty thousand dollars.” Sylvie sounds giddy. “But only if we can get it done by September.”
Holy shit. “Okay.” Otis relents, closes the break room door and locks it. Then he starts working on the blinds. Like hell if anyone is going to see him conspiring with Sylvie and Mouch. “Tell me more.”
——————————————————
With only two days left, Otis is ready to just pull the cash out of his savings. Trudy is still telling him to wait until tomorrow, she’s working on something, but Otis just can’t care. Oscar is family. That means Lucia is family. He can’t leave family hanging.
Plus, with what Mouch and Sylvie are offering, he might have a bit more cashflow in the future, even if it is mortifying. They badgered a story out of him, this one time when Sean followed him to the hospital after he fell on the job, and ended up sucking him off in Trauma Bay 6 at Med. Mouch said it was “juicy stuff”, and if Otis never hears the word juicy out of Mouch’s mouth again, it would be too soon.
“Oscar, buddy, can you get the door?” Otis is still trying to reach Lucia. She said she’d come up with the money. Maybe she has? She hasn’t been in contact though.
“Otis! It is your police friend with yellow hair!”
“Hey Oscar.” That’s definitely Sean’s voice.
Otis closes his laptop and goes to greet his… something. Ex, he guesses. Sean looks nervous. He’s smiling with Oscar but he’s wringing his hands.
“Hey Sean, you know we have phones for a reason, right?”
“Eh, I’ve never been a tech guy.” He gives Otis a look and glances at Oscar.
“Hey buddy, give us a minute? You mind clearing the table?” Oscar hops to and Otis gestures for Sean to continue. “Now isn’t a great time, Sean.”
“No I know, that’s why I’m here.” He’s wringing his hands again. “I wanted to give you your space, you know? But Sergeant Platt’s been keeping me posted on the whole Lucia situation.”
“I’m kind of trying to deal with it right now, actually.”
“That’s great. I hope that goes great for you. And her. And Oscar.” Sean clears his throat. “I know you don’t want my money, that’s cool. And I’m not trying to push anything here. I just wanted you to know that if you ever were in need of some quick cash, now or in the future, for any reason… I would be down to, to work out a loan. If you ever needed it, not saying you do. I want- I just- I want you to know, there’s another table on the option. Another option on the table I mean. You know what I’m just gonna go.”
Sean was talking so fast it takes Otis a second to catch up, but he stops Sean before he can walk out the door.
“A loan?” Otis locks eyes with him, feeling skeptical. “Not a donation? Or a present? A loan?”
Sean swallows, then nods. “With interest, yeah. I’d expect you to pay back every cent.”
Otis smiles. This is… not exactly what he wanted, but it is a step in that direction. He can see how hard Sean is working. How badly he wants to offer to pay for the whole Lucia smuggling operation himself.
He lets go of Sean’s arm. “Why don’t we talk some more about it?”
Sean’s eyes go wide. “Yeah? Really? Right now?”
Otis shakes his head. “Tomorrow night, dinner. I’m buying.”
“I- ye-yeah, okay. Yes.” Otis knows what Sean’s excited voice sounds like, what his face looks like when he’s trying to hide happiness.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Text me before you pick me up, okay?”
“I will, I will. Tomorrow night?” Sean is halfway out the door, Otis is guessing he wants privacy when he does his happy dance.
“I’m picking the restaurant.” Otis warns before letting the door close.
He feels warm. This is something. This is progress.
———————————————
“We’re going on a trip, in our favorite rocket ship.” Otis hums as Oscar’s breaths start to calm. He pulls the plate, topped with syrupy waffle, a bit closer.
“It’s okay bud, I’m right here.” Otis promises, letting the music continue on his phone. He breathes in pace with Oscar, matching him, and they slow down together.
Oscar calms down enough to eat his waffle, but he won’t let Otis leave, pulling his Otis down onto his twin bed.
Holding a sleeping Oscar while his side is crushed against the wall, stroking his hair with one hand, Otis wonders how he could ever have been so stupid.
This is his kid. Maybe not forever, but he doesn’t need forever. He has now. And Oscar needs Lucia now.
His free hand pulls his phone out of his pajama pockets. He taps on his bank app, his savings, and with fingerprint authorization, he’s sent the money he’s gathered to Lucia’s account.
It’s only a few minutes before he gets a ‘received’ message.
Otis lets out a breath he didn’t know he was keeping in. It feels like he’s been holding onto that for weeks. He thought he’d feel dread about gambling all his money on a smuggling scheme that might not work, but all he can feel is relieved.
Lucia is alive, and she’s coming to the States.
After basking in the happiness for a minute, dread does set in. But it’s not about the money.
It’s about Oscar.
It’s about after Lucia gets here.
It’s about what happens after Oscar is reunited with his blood family, and Otis is no longer needed.
Oscar will be okay. That’s what matters, that should be enough. He worries it might not be. What if Lucia takes Oscar away from him? To another city? Another state? Canada?
He pushes the thoughts away. “I don’t need it.” He grunts to himself. He looks at Oscar’s sleeping face. “I have now. All I need is now.”
————————————————
When Sean and Otis go to dinner the next night, Sean comes all prepared with paperwork and a contract for a loan, and it touched Otis more than any of his fancy gifts or extravagant dinners.
Otis tells him he figured the Lucia situation out and Sean lets it go. Then they eat hot dogs together, and Otis pays.
It was a little bit perfect.
————————————————
A few weeks later, he gets the call from Lucia. She’s in Baltimore, staying at a church where it’s safe.
She made it.
Otis shoots off a text to Trudy and Sean, calls the firehouse to let them know he’s cashing in some sick days for a family emergency while he’s packing an overnight bag.
He goes over the speed limit on his way to get Oscar from school. The little guy is so excited they almost leave before picking up their clothes and toothbrushes from the apartment.
Sean is waiting outside the building when they get there.
“Hey, I sent you a text this time, you didn’t respond.” Sean says, smiling brightly. “She made it, huh?”
“She made it.” Otis pumps a fist in victory. “You wanna help carry our bags?”
They don’t need the help, but Sean nods anyway. In fact, he has his own bag, slung over his shoulder. A duffel.
“Actually, I was hoping I could come along.” Sean gives him those eyes, those pleading pup-dog eyes that he can never say no to.
Otis considers it. But isn’t this the problem? Sean making decisions without consulting him? In this case he supposes he didn’t really give Sean the time to properly plan this out.
“It’s up to you. I just thought that driving back all the way from Maryland with an undocumented immigrant, might be helpful to have a cop in the car.” Sean offers tactfully.
Otis can’t argue with that. “Alright then, welcome aboard Officer Roman.”
“Thank you for having me.” They share a smile, it doesn’t last long only because Oscar is literally running circles around them with excitement. “Now let’s hit the road, right? Lucia’s waiting!”