Judy Hopps was sitting at her desk in her small apartment with her phone held in front of her while she was talking with Fru Fru, her arctic shrew friend, who was looking back at her from her screen with her baby on her arms. Judy hadn't been able to make her weekly visit to her friend and goddaughter, who was almost one, due to a very busy day at work. They had been video-chatting for a while and suddenly went quiet for a few seconds, then Judy saw the expression of the shrew change into a smirk.
"So, Judes," said the smaller mammal who used the appellation to differentiate the bunny from her daughter. "How's work? Any interesting news?"
Judy knew her tiny friend didn't really care about work (she was the daughter of a mobster criminal after all) and was moving the conversation in a direction the rabbit didn't feel comfortable discussing.
"Very boring actually," she lied hopping they could talk about something else. "Nothing new, really."
"Oh! C'mon, Judes. You know what I mean!" begged Fru Fru. "Did you tell him yet?"
"No," Judy sighed. "But I will. Someday. I'm just trying to find the right moment."
"Don't be scared, girl." Her friend encouraged. "That fox likes you. I can tell. He is just too dumb to make the first move."
Judy just chuckled. No arguing with that.
"I am scared, Fru," she confessed with a sigh focusing her eyes on her desk. "First: I haven't dated anyone since I got into the ZPA and second: If he doesn't feel the same way, I know things will get awkward."
"Well, then think about it, Judes," her friend advised while handing a toy to her daughter who was fidgeting on her lap. "This feelings are eating you inside and if you just ignore them then can affect you."
Eventually the conversation did move to other less complicated topics until the friends said goodbye to each other. Judy sent a kiss to her namesake and ended the video call.
Judy looked out her apartment only window and stared at the city for a while. It was dusk and the sky was morphing into a different color. Night blue encompassed most the atmosphere except for a light blue at the bottom of the chamber and all sort of colors in between.
It was the time of the day in which the buildings and streets would come to life with artificial lights. Judy had come to appreciate the looks of this.
At first she found it difficult to sleep with all the light and noise coming from her window, not to mention the annoying sounds of her neighbors, whether they came from next door, down or up her place, there was always someone making loud noises and disturbing her.
She missed the starry night skies of her hometown and the breeze that flows freely in the open spaces of her parent's farm which is always accompanied by an almost absolute silence and the fresh scent of the fields.
Still, with time, she couldn't deny the beauty of Zootopia at night. She kept a special place in her heart for Bunny Burrow but it didn't mean she didn't like the city.
The gray rabbit would often take walks around town, especially at night. It was a great way to sort her thoughts, especially when she and her partner were working on a difficult case and she just needed to clear her mind for a while.
She grabbed her jacket and headed out of her apartment. She needed that clarity of mind that only walking alone around the city could give her. The only difference is that her thoughts would not be directed at a case from work but rather at a particular orange-furred mammal.
A few days later…
A group of police officers were gathered around at the enormous precinct break room to celebrate the birthday of a very beloved member of the force: Benjamin Clawhauser.
Nick Wilde was leaning against the old kitchenette that was barely used by anyone there, watching amused at how the chubby cheetah squealed every time he opened a present. So far he had received donuts and gift cards that he could exchange for even more donuts. Judy was standing next to Nick looking excited and a little nervous.
"Ok! Ok! This last one is from…" said Clawhauser excitedly while turning the card on the present. "Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde."
"I hope he likes it." Judy whispered to Nick while chewing at her nail.
"Of course he will." Assured Nick, watching how the cheetah unwrapped their gift.
"O-M-Goodness!" Benjamin Clawhauser ran (surprisingly slow for a cheetah) and lifted both the bunny and the fox in a tight hug while holding Gazelle's new album in his paw. "You guys know me so well!"
Nick and Judy looked at each other from across the chubby feline. The fox winked at her in an "I told you so" kind of way and Judy's grin got wider.
After opening all of his presents, Clawhauser thanked everyone and announced that he would be continuing to celebrate his birthday at a bar after work. He gave the details and directions and everyone left the room to continue with their shifts before Bogo could protest.
At the end of their shift, Judy was driving towards the precinct to return the patrol car. Nick sat next to her on the passenger seat, looking out the window with a relaxed expression that was usual for the todd to wear at this time of the day.
"Are you going to join Clawhauser and the other guys tonight, Slick?" Judy asked curiously while entering the precinct's garage.
"Yeah, I think it might be a good idea," answered Nick. "But only if you go too."
This was no surprise to Judy. Even when everyone at the precinct liked Nick, he still wasn't a very social mammal and always preferred to attend meetings outside work with her. Judy didn't mind though.
They got out of the car and the rabbit approached him. "Yes, I was planning on going. I'll meet you there later?" She asked smiling and when Nick agreed, she left.
Nick stood there for a moment watching his friend disappear in the distance. A sight escaped his muzzle when he was not able to see her anymore.
At her apartment, Judy took a quick shower and put on casual clothes. She opted for a white top, light jeans and a black jacket. It was simple but she liked the way this particular pair of jeans fitted her figure and the top and jacket went really well together.
Her makeup was very basic and natural. Judy didn't wear makeup for work so she wasn't used to it anymore, but she figured tonight was worth it, she just needed to be careful not to smudge it. She used a special product to make her fur glow and at the end Judy was very satisfied with her assemble.
The bar wasn't that far so she decided to walk there using the time to think about her previous conversation with Fru Fru. She felt very confident today, if she got a shot, she would take it and talk to Nick.
When she arrived at the bar, her friends greeted her warmly. She noticed Nick was already there looking at her from across the table with a very strange look on his face that she could not figure out.
"Looking good, Hopps!" said her friend and coworker Wolford in a flirty/joking kind of way with a very wolfish look.
Judy just smiled coquettishly at him and then rolled her eyes to shrugged him off.
The rabbit went to sit next to her fox friend. Being the establishment thought for large mammals, they shared a chair just like they did at work. Judy looked at Nick, who in her opinion looked hot, wearing dark jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was looking at Wolford, his expression was somewhat annoyed for a few moments, but then he greeted her and was back to his normal self.
The rest of the night went smoothly. Everyone's favorite part was to watch Clawhauser get wasted and take over the karaoke machine that was supposed to be for all clients to enjoy. Even when he asked someone to join him for a song, he still would not let go of the microphone and sang with all his might.
When the cheetah was not able to stand still, Wolford and Fangmeyer decided to take him home. This was cue for everyone else to pay the bill and go.
Nick helped Judy to come down the big chair and offered to walk her home since it was very late and according to him there were many dangers that "a cute tipsy little bunny" could not even imagine. That remark costed him a jab on his arm.
The street was far from dangerous. There were still mammals walking down the big boulevards entering and exiting the businesses that still offered services in the wee hours. However, Nick either didn't notice or pretended not to notice and still accompanied Judy.
Even when the sidewalk was wide, they were walking close to each other with their arms almost touching.
Inside the doe's head, thoughts twirled around.
Just tell him. You won't get a better chance that this one.
Judy looked at the sky, which was pitch black, a gesture that automatically limped her mind. She sighed silently and looked at the fox, who was walking with his paws inside his pockets looking absently ahead of him.
"A rabbit and a fox, hik. Love really is blind."
Both of them stopped and turned to see a drunk hippo hiccuping and smiling at them for a few seconds before his partner took his arm and prompted him to keep walking. Giving the smaller mammals an apologetic look.
Although the comment was not meant as a insult, it did created an awkward atmosphere for the off-duty officers.
They looked at each other and Judy gave Nick a sheepish smile. She thought she would use the moment to bring up the subject inside her head but she hesitated when she saw Nick laughing lightly at the direction of the drunken hippo.
"Ah, the things wasted mammals say!" he mused with her paws on his hips. "As if a rabbit and a fox…"
Now Judy couldn't help but feel a little insulted and hurt at his friend's comment. She crossed her arms in front of her and looked directly at the fox.
"Would it really be that bad?" Her tone was more severe than what she had intended.
This caught Nick completely off guard. "Well… not bad, just…" He shrugged his shoulders as if it was obvious that the idea was ridiculous.
"Just what?" she demanded taking a step forward.
"I just don't think a rabbit would like a fox, you know, that way…" he babbled. "I mean, not that is impossible, of course it could happen. I mean, I don't know if it has happened to anyone. It hasn't happened to anyone I know. Sounds ridiculous if you ask me… I mean, right?"
Judy's anger faded at hearing his usually well-spoken friend talk incoherently. She just chuckled and motioned him to continue walking which the fox took as a signal to stop talking.
They spent the rest of their walk in silence until they reached Judy's building. The rabbit stopped at the foot of the stairs that lead to the front door.
"Thank you for walking me home," she said with a small smile.
"It's nothing," Nick shrugged. "See you tomorrow, Carrots. Sleep tight."
The bunny offered him a smile, wished him good night and started going up the stairs. When she got her door open she turned around to see the fox.
"For the record," she said looking at him with sultry eyes. "I don't think, it sounds ridiculous."
And she disappeared behind the door leaving a very startled Nicholas Wilde standing there.